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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27349519">spellbound / hellbound</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/amaelamin/pseuds/amaelamin'>amaelamin</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>shenanigans requests [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Background Relationships, Demons, Dialogue Heavy, Eventual Romance, Humor, M/M, Magic, Meet the Family, Minor Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin, Slow Burn, donghyuck just wants a bf ok is that so much to ask, featuring donghyuck's formidable mother</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 01:35:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>32,362</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27349519</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/amaelamin/pseuds/amaelamin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Hypothetically,” Donghyuck says into the phone, trying to sound as nonchalant as he can, “<i>hypothetically</i>, if you’d summoned a demon and can’t remember exactly how you did it and none of the banishing spells you’ve tried have worked so far, what would you do?”</p><p>The long silence that comes over the line is damning. Donghyuck cringes through his pounding hangover headache hoping that Renjun isn’t about to start yelling; he also tries very hard to avoid eye contact with the demon that’s sitting on his bed glaring at him because he refuses to accept that this is rapidly becoming a Situation. He’s not even sure how he knows that the demon is glaring at him because in this guise it only possesses eyes in a very loose sense, but he <i>knows</i>.</p><p>“What did you do?” Renjun finally asks, sounding as done with Donghyuck as Donghyuck is with himself.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Moon Taeil</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>shenanigans requests [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1828576</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>216</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>345</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>from this request! - hyuck wants a boyfriend so he goes and tries to summon a demon but he gets taeil a demon who’s just really nice and but he finds hyuck annoying to deal with at first but they are stuck together and bam. they fall in love.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Hypothetically,” Donghyuck says into the phone, trying to sound as nonchalant as he can, “<i>hypothetically</i>, if you’d summoned a demon and can’t remember exactly how you did it and none of the banishing spells you’ve tried have worked so far, what would you do?”</p><p>The long silence that comes over the line is damning. Donghyuck cringes through his pounding hangover headache hoping that Renjun isn’t about to start yelling; he also tries very hard to avoid eye contact with the demon that’s sitting on his bed glaring at him because he refuses to accept that this is rapidly becoming a Situation. He’s not even sure how he knows that the demon is glaring at him because in this guise it only possesses eyes in a very loose sense, but he <i>knows</i>.</p><p>“What did you do?” Renjun finally asks, sounding as done with Donghyuck as Donghyuck is with himself.</p><p>“I didn’t say I did anything. I asked you a hypothetical question,” Donghyuck retorts stubbornly. </p><p>“You are not in the habit of calling me at eight in the morning with hypothetical questions. If you were, we would not be friends. What. Did. You. Do.”</p><p>Donghyuck heaves a reluctant sigh of defeat. If it was not eight in the morning, if he was not hungover as fuck, and if the demon sitting on his small single bed was not giving off vibes that it thought he was the biggest dumbass in all of history and the four dimensions he may have had the strength to conduct himself with more dignity. As it is, Donghyuck begins to beg. </p><p>“Please, Junnie, I don’t know what to do. I woke up just now to pee and there was a demon in the middle of my room. It’s kind of a <i>lot</i> to see a dark manifestation from the Abyss when you’re trying to crawl to the bathroom still half-drunk from last night, okay? I tried to banish it using two different invocations and it’s still here. <i>And</i> it’s pissed off at me. Please, please help me.”</p><p>“What’s it doing?” Renjun asks, sounding intrigued despite himself.</p><p>“You mean apart from hating my entire existence? Nothing. It’s just sitting there.”</p><p>“Where?”</p><p>“On my bed.”</p><p>“And where are you?”</p><p>Donghyuck looks at the demon. It stares back. It seems that demons are very good at staring.</p><p>“I’m leaning against my door.”</p><p>“What did it say when you asked it why it’s there?”</p><p>Donghyuck’s breath catches in his throat, embarrassment spiking down his spine. <i>Of course</i>.</p><p>“Hyuck?”</p><p>“Um.”</p><p>“You didn’t ask it, did you.”</p><p>“Well-”</p><p>“So you’re telling me all this time you could have simply just <i>talked to it</i> to find out whatever you needed to know but you decided to panic and wake me up instead?”</p><p>“Did I mention I was hungover?” Donghyuck grumbles. “I’m not at peak brain activity, alright?”</p><p>“When are you ever?” Renjun asks flatly. “I’m hanging up.”</p><p>Donghyuck slowly lowers the phone from his ear, knowing the demon is still watching him. </p><p>“Do me a favour? Can you not do the whole true form thing right now? Looking at you makes me feel like the inside of my head is being sucked out through my nose. Please.”</p><p>Beholding a demon wearing its real guise requires concentration at the best of times because, as far as humans know, demons don’t only exist on the human plane but in at least two more dimensions. Trying to look straight at a demon straddling several levels of reality while hungover, panicking slightly and still needing very much to pee is a job and a half. </p><p>The demon manages to emanate even more annoyance at the request, but to Donghyuck’s surprise there is a feeling for a moment like the air in his bedroom has all gone <i>flat</i> before expanding normally once more and sitting on his bed there is - </p><p>“Oh,” Donghyuck says despite himself. “You’re - wow. You’re so normal.”</p><p>“Isn’t that what you wanted?” the demon replies testily. The demon’s pleasant human voice pings for a bit around the inside of Donghyuck’s skull, like it hasn’t properly adjusted its range and pitch yet for human ears. The demon - in an oversized pajama pants and shirt combo looking like a very soft best friend - in human form is far removed from the demon in his whole intimidating nether dimensions persona; demons don’t strictly have a form, more <i>substance</i> than anything, but sometimes they adhere to traditional demon depictions for appearance’s sake. Donghyuck will never forget sitting in on one of Renjun’s summonings - the demon had materialised with the whole works: wings, forked tail, horns, flames, everything - and Renjun had simply glared at it till the demon had grumpily dissolved into a general ball of energy. </p><p>“We don’t need to be impressed, thank you,” Renjun had told the demon before carrying on with the casting, and Donghyuck had gotten the distinct feeling the demon had sulked the whole time until Renjun let it go. </p><p>Anyway - what was before a pulsing hulking entity made of magnetic black light in the middle of Donghyuck’s room that had made Donghyuck’s skin buzz with static electricity is now the most harmless looking boy-next-door college student. Donghyuck wonders if the demon had chosen a non-threatening body on purpose; he looks even shorter and cuddlier than Donghyuck. The sudden inexplicable urge to hug him comes upon Donghyuck, who rejects this impulse on the basis that randomly hugging demons who seem to be trapped in your bedroom is generally not a good idea. </p><p>“Right. Thank you,” Donghyuck mutters, self-consciously looking down at himself still only wearing yesterday’s jeans and realises he must have passed out last night after taking off his shirt but not much else. Gods, he must look like the living dead.</p><p>“Um. Sorry. One second, please.”</p><p>Donghyuck rushes out of his bedroom, unable to ignore his bladder any longer. Relief is just beginning to flood through him when he hears the bathroom door open in a hurry, and he nearly sprays all over the whole toilet bowl as he realises that the demon has followed him in. </p><p>“What are you doing?” Donghyuck nearly screams in shock, trying to both cover himself and deal with the pain of having his much-needed pee cut short. </p><p>“This is your fault!” the demon hisses at him, pointedly turning away to give Donghyuck some privacy. “This is a condition <i>you</i> built into the summoning.”</p><p>“What, watching me pee?” Donghyuck flails, confused to the roots of his hair. Oh gods, his head is splitting. </p><p>“<i>Always being by your side</i>,” the demon recites. “Don’t you remember anything?”</p><p>Donghyuck longs to lean his aching head against the cool tile of the bathroom. Just what the fuck did he do when he got home from the party last night?</p><p>“Look, hurry up and finish. Clearly we need to talk about this.” The demon’s voice sounds like the demon has his face right to the surface of the bathroom door to make sure he doesn’t see anything Donghyuck doesn’t want him to, and Donghyuck gratefully tries to coax his bladder to un-freeze itself.</p><p>It’s a long pee. </p><p>“Just how much did you drink last night?” The demon asks finally, Donghyuck’s face burning up in humiliation. “It’s neverending.”</p><p>“Quite a bit,” Donghyuck replies weakly, thinking of how he’d gone to town on the somaek Ten had made with the beers Jeno had brought with him when he’d arrived at Lucas’ apartment for the end-of-semester party yesterday - beer carton tucked under one arm and the other wrapped around his shiny new boyfriend. Things had rapidly gone downhill after that, and if the demon’s hummed reply sounds even remotely sympathetic to Donghyuck’s ears it’s testament to the strength of self-pity that is currently oozing out of Donghyuck’s pores together with last night’s booze.</p><p>The demon follows an eventually much-relieved Donghyuck in reluctant tow to the kitchen in search of painkillers for his head. He’s going to need all the help he can get to solve this summoning gone wrong, but what he isn’t banking on is the kitchen containing not only one but both of his roommates. </p><p>Donghyuck stops in his tracks, the demon bumping into his back with a tiny grumble. He looks at Yangyang and Dejun, and they look back at him. Then, Yangyang grins the kind of grin Donghyuck has learnt over the course of their roommate-cum-friendship to avoid at all costs. </p><p>“Well, good morning, Hyuckie,” Yangyang takes an indulgent sip of his coffee. “Good morning, Hyuckie’s <i>friend</i>. Had a good night I hope?”</p><p>“This isn’t - this is not -” Donghyuck is afraid to turn around and see the look on the demon’s face. <i>Of course</i> that’s what they’re going to think - a stranger, dressed in what looks like Donghyuck’s sleep clothes as if he obviously spent the night - and Donghyuck is abruptly <i>very</i> aware that he is still shirtless and wearing last night’s ripped jeans.</p><p>“Hey, sorry for dropping in like this. I’ll be out of your way soon,” the demon says with a smile, an insistent hand in the small of Donghyuck’s back pushing him towards the cabinets to get whatever Donghyuck came here to get. Donghyuck is utterly gobsmacked at the sudden charm lacing the demon’s voice to the point he forgets for a moment why he’s there as he watches sweet Dejun give the demon a little wave hello.</p><p>“Why are you two up this early?” Donghyuck complains, giving himself a mental shake and beginning to rummage in a cupboard. “And where’s the aspirin?”</p><p>“Bottom drawer. And we’re leaving soon, we told you,” Dejun reasons. “We're sharing a cab to the airport.”</p><p><i>Airport.</i> </p><p>Donghyuck straightens up like a shot, bottle of aspirin clutched like a lifeline. </p><p>“Bye, safe flight, text me when you land,” he gasps out, hugging both of them quickly before grabbing the demon’s hand to drag him back into Donghyuck’s bedroom. </p><p>“Damn, Hyuckie, you’ve still got enough time for another round before you have to leave later,” Yangyang calls after them, laughing raucously. “If you need more condoms you know where I keep my stash!”</p><p>*</p><p>“What’s all this about?” the demon asks, unimpressed, once Donghyuck has sealed them both safely back inside his room and scrambled to put on a shirt. </p><p>“Oh, gods,” Donghyuck presses the heel of his palm into an eye. He really is too fucking out of it. “I’m going home from college today.”</p><p>“Excuse me?”</p><p>“Do you really have to follow me everywhere? I put that into the binding?”</p><p>The demon cocks his head to the side, the movement unexpectedly adorable. “Do you think I followed you into the toilet because I wanted to?”</p><p>Donghyuck groans with feeling. “The semester’s over. I’m going home for a little while now that it’s summer break, and if I can’t undo the summoning and whatever the fuck else I did to bind you to me before I leave I’m going to have to bring you along.”</p><p>“Then tell your family what happened. Do they do magic too?”</p><p>Donghyuck stares at the demon, sure his eyes are bugging out as he imagines the scene. “I’ve been planning to break the news to my mother when I go home today that unlike the good Asian son I’m supposed to be, I’ve dropped out of engineering and am going to major in music instead. Telling her that I also practise magic and that you are a demon that I’ve summoned is going to push her right over the edge.”</p><p>The demon shrugs, the gesture looking strangely natural in his big shirt. “So what are you going to do now?”</p><p>“Okay. Okay. I can fix this on my own,” Donghyuck repeats to himself like a mantra. “How exactly did I summon you last night?”</p><p>“Usual sacrifice. A little bit of your life force.”</p><p>“No wonder I can’t string two thoughts together today,” Donghyuck mutters. “What was in the summoning incantation?”</p><p>“You said you wanted a boyfriend who would always be by your side and is, I quote, ‘cute as hell’. Not sure why you humans use that phrase. Hell isn’t particularly cute.”</p><p>Donghyuck pushes down the immediate urge to ask just what Hell is like, then - he’s never had an actual conversation with a demon in human guise before, and trust him to only be given this chance when he’s trying his best to send said demon away. “How did that result in you being stuck here with me?”</p><p>“You messed up on the boundaries of the incantation,” the demon explains. “Instead of tying me to the <i>solution</i> of your wish you tied me to the wish itself. So instead of helping you find a boyfriend-”</p><p>“You <i>are</i> the boyfriend,” Donghyuck breathes, aghast. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry.”</p><p>“Yup. If you don’t mind me asking,” the demon says, leaning back on his hands on Donghyuck’s bed. “Why?”</p><p>“Why summon a demon for help to find a boyfriend, you mean?” Donghyuck asks bitterly, face heating up again. </p><p>“And so desperate for it you’d attempt a summoning while drunk,” the demon continues, making Donghyuck want to sink into the floor. “Not that it wasn’t a half bad job, I mean. Apart from that one mistake it was almost perfect. Kind of impressive.”</p><p>“Really?” Donghyuck asks, abruptly shy. He’s never been complimented by a denizen of the underworld before, even if it’s one who’s currently looking very un-underworld denizen-like in clothes two sizes too big for him. </p><p>“Yeah. So, why?” </p><p>“My friends are all attached,” Donghyuck admits, wincing at how silly it sounds in the daylight. “One couple’s been together <i>forever</i> and another one brought his new boyfriend to the party and they couldn’t take their hands or eyes off each other the whole night. It was disgusting? But I also want to be disgusting like that with someone? And then it just seems like everyone else found someone over the course of this semester to date or to hook up with, and..” Donghyuck trails off pathetically. “Everyone was just wrapped up in someone else last night, you know? I guess I just felt really lonely.”</p><p>“And you were drunk,” the demon supplies helpfully. </p><p>“And I was drunk,” Donghyuck sighs. “Look, I’m really sorry. You probably have better things to do than.. this.”</p><p>“Not really,” the demon answers, looking slightly less put-out than before as he kicks his legs hanging off the edge of Donghyuck’s bed. “I kind of like this work, helping humans with their everyday magic castings. My best friend always tells me I should have more ambition and I could be promoted and rise up the ranks but why bother with corporate politics and all that when I’m happy doing what I’m doing, you know?”</p><p>It’s Donghyuck’s turn to stare now. “I have so many questions,” he breathes. “The nether dimensions are - corporate? Like a company?”</p><p>“More like a bureaucracy. Hey, take your pills.” </p><p>Donghyuck blinks, and then unscrews the cap on his bottle of aspirin. “Thanks,” he mumbles, feeling strangely needy, and the complete absurdity of the situation chooses that moment to slam into him. </p><p>If only the Him last night, wallowing in self-pity and marinating in somaek, could see the Him right now - feeling stupidly tender because the demon he’d summoned and accidentally bound to him is reminding him to take his painkillers for his splitting headache. Is he that starved for affection? </p><p>“Here,” the demon says, holding out a glass of water. </p><p>“How-” Donghyuck stutters. “You can manifest anything?”</p><p>“Not anything. Your kitchen is barely ten metres away. All magic works within reason, you should know this.”</p><p>Within reason. Right. “Okay,” Donghyuck says, after taking the water and his aspirin. “Okay. The way to dissolve a summoning is when the casting’s goal has been reached or the caster no longer wants to go on and gives permission for the summoned to leave. I’ve clearly stated I release you - why isn’t it working?”</p><p>“Do you no longer want to go on?” the demon asks, raising an eyebrow.</p><p>“I don’t want to keep you here under a miscast spell, no?” Donghyuck replies. “Of course I don’t want to go on.”</p><p>“I mean,” the demon says, and Donghyuck is touched by the soft timbre of his voice. “Do you no longer want a boyfriend?”</p><p>Donghyuck is struck speechless. </p><p>“<i>That’s</i> what the spell is reacting to? You’re stuck with me until I no longer want a boyfriend?” Donghyuck screeches a moment later when his brain catches up with him. “That’s- that’s impossible! So it’s this or the monastery for me? Eternal celibacy?"</p><p>“I can ask around if someone can pull strings to get me out of this casting on my end?” the demon offers placatingly. “It might finally be useful to know someone who’s a Deadly Sin. He’s high up enough, he should be able to call in a few favours.”</p><p>“A - what?” Donghyuck asks, trying not to hyperventilate. </p><p>“A Deadly Sin. He was so proud of himself when he got the promotion,” the demon rolls his eyes. “The best friend I was talking about, before.”</p><p>“Which one is he?” Donghyuck asks despite himself. </p><p>“Avarice. I think he wanted to get Lust, but. At least he didn’t get Sloth.”</p><p>“Can he really do it?”</p><p>“I don’t know. His promotion is still fairly new, he might not want to risk asking too much too soon.”</p><p>Donghyuck sinks down on the bed in despair. “I don’t know how I’m going to explain you to my family. I need to leave for Gimpo in like, an hour.”</p><p>“Can you make an excuse not to go back? In case Johnny can’t swing it?”</p><p>“<i>Johnny</i>?” Donghyuck can’t help but repeat in disbelief. “Your friend’s name is Johnny?”</p><p>“We all have human aliases. Sort of like convenient names for when they’re needed? Humans can’t pronounce our real names, anyway. I don’t think your vocal chords are made for it. Or your ears, if you heard it.”</p><p>Donghyuck looks up, musing in absent horror on just how many ways his mother could hunt him down and murder him if he dared to tell her at the last minute he wasn’t coming home. “What’s <i>your</i> human name?”</p><p>“Taeil. I liked it when I heard it some decades ago. I thought it sounded nice.”</p><p>Donghyuck puts out a defeated hand. “Hello, Taeil. I’m Donghyuck, your boyfriend for the time being.”</p><p>For a moment Taeil looks at Donghyuck’s hand and then he shakes it firmly, like he’s made up his mind about something. “Hello. I’ll just contact Johnny, shall I?”</p><p>“Please,” Donghyuck mutters before dropping his still-pounding head into his hands.</p><p>*</p><p>After a quick shower and change of clothes Donghyuck bustles around his room packing as Taeil engages in a rather heated conversation through a little portal he’d opened at face level; he supposes ‘Johnny’ is on the other side of the interdimensional videocall, and by the looks and sounds of it, not being very cooperative.</p><p>“I <i>know</i> this isn’t your department. Don’t you know anyone in the- you punk, don’t you think we tried that? … What do you mean wait? How long? <i>No</i>, I don’t want to kill him-”</p><p>Donghyuck stops short and looks around with a frown. “What?”</p><p>Taeil shushes him, continuing to talk to Johnny. “I can’t believe you’re doing this to me. I don’t know, wait-” He turns to Donghyuck, who’s still stuck on the murder aspect of their conversation. “Where are we going?”</p><p>“Jeju,” Donghyuck answers grumpily, supposing he should be thankful Taeil apparently doesn’t want to kill him to get out of this binding. “We’ll get you a ticket at the airport since Johnny doesn’t seem to want to help.”</p><p>“Hear that?” Taeil turns back to the portal. “I’m going to have to go to Jeju, Johnny-who-doesn’t-want-to-help. You know what crossing water does to us.”</p><p>Donghyuck blinks as Taeil continues to bicker with Johnny. Right - demons lose power when forced to cross running water, which is one way to get a pesky demon off your trail should you be unfortunately hunted by one. The Jeju Strait definitely does count as a body of running water, that’s for sure.</p><p>He continues to pack, Taeil finally closing the portal in a huff by the time Donghyuck’s sure he’s got everything he needs and then some for Taeil since it seems pretty clear Taeil’s coming with him to meet the family. Donghyuck feels slightly hysterical as he sits down with his bag at his feet, Taeil scowling as he turns to face him. </p><p>“Well, that’s that. He says he can help but it’ll take some days because he needs to butter somebody up first before he can slide in this request under the table.”</p><p>“Why under the table?” </p><p>“Bureaucracy, remember? You can’t just request to immediately end a binding. You need all sorts of forms and proof of failure. Oh! Wait!”</p><p>Taeil lights up, and the irresistible change that takes over his face is something to see. Donghyuck sits up straighter too despite himself. </p><p>“What if I’m a really, really bad boyfriend to you and by the time you’re absolutely fed up of me I’m pretty sure you’re not going to want a boyfriend anymore, even if it’s just temporary. Ta-da, casting broken!”</p><p>“You mean you’re going to be a really bad boyfriend to me in front of my whole family?” Donghyuck asks faintly. </p><p>Taeil makes a sympathetic face. “No pain, no gain?”</p><p>“My parents don’t even know I’m gay, Taeil.” Donghyuck feels the hysteria returning. “I’m planning to pass you off as a friend whose plans to go home fell through and came back with me because I felt sorry for you.”</p><p>“Oh,” Taeil deflates. “Will they buy that?”</p><p>Donghyuck thinks of his twin brothers, and <i>especially</i> his sister, and shudders.</p><p>“Come on. We need to test this. How far apart can you physically be from me?”</p><p>Donghyuck gets up and opens the door of his room, listening for sounds of life from Yangyang and Dejun, but the apartment seems silent. They must have already left, and Donghyuck thanks whatever lucky star that hasn’t yet abandoned him that Yangyang isn’t still around to leer at them from the sofa. </p><p>He positions Taeil just behind the little communal dining table and takes a large step away, watching Taeil who’s watching him back expectantly. “Okay?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Taeil shrugs. Donghyuck takes another step, and they’re about two metres away from each other now. “Still okay?”</p><p>Taeil scrunches up his face. “It’s not - great. But I can fight it.”</p><p>“What do you feel?” Donghyuck asks, suddenly concerned. If Taeil is in actual pain or something when they’re apart then that’s a whole new unpleasant layer to the entire business. “Are you okay?”</p><p>“Um,” Taeil scrunches up his face even more. “Yeah, I’m- I’m okay.”</p><p>“You’re turning pink,” Donghyuck informs him. </p><p>“Am I?” Taeil swallows, and then takes a deep shaky breath, bringing up a nonchalant hand to fan himself.</p><p>Donghyuck narrows his eyes and takes another big step away that lands him almost in the bathroom more than three metres away and Taeil immediately caves, breaking from his position with a helpless ‘mmf!’ and speedwalking over to Donghyuck’s side. </p><p>Donghyuck stares at Taeil panting softly and swallowing like his throat has suddenly gone dry. “What does it do to you? You feel hot, or something?”</p><p>“That’s one way to put it,” Taeil mutters. </p><p>Donghyuck raises an incredulous eyebrow. “Are you telling me you-”</p><p>“I get the really strong urge to <i>be with you</i>, okay?” Taeil says, embarrassed. “In <i>that</i> kind of way. Totally not PG. Just what were you thinking last night when you cast this?”</p><p>“Probably not a lot of thinking going on, to be honest,” Donghyuck admits miserably, Renjun’s voice in his head. “Drunk and horny and sad. Predictably bad combination. Sorry?”</p><p>“Just remember that when you think of leaving me alone,” Taeil grumbles, looking adorably put out. “I won’t be able to do any magic when we get there for a while because of crossing the sea. So you’re going to have to look after me.” </p><p>Donghyuck sighs. “Okay, ageless demon boyfriend. Let’s go to Jeju.” </p><p>**</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>sighs. so, clearly, this isn't going to be a two-parter as originally advertised (as usual - no 'short' fic ever stays short with me). i know reading chapters is frustrating but i think i'd rather upload what's already written than to finish the whole thing and suddenly upload a 15k part 1-2 weeks later lol. more to come soon, i promise.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <i>are you at the airport now? managed to send the demon away?</i>
</p><p>Donghyuck reads Renjun’s message with a sinking feeling. He could lie to save his ego, of course; but he also desperately does not want to be the sole bearer of this secret especially when he’s going to be stuck in Jeju for two weeks surrounded by his insane family and also trying to figure out how to break a spellcasting at the same time. He looks over at Taeil standing a little way away - but not too far - with their bags, looking as human and normal as anything in Donghyuck’s borrowed clothes and shoes. Donghyuck aches a bit at the sight of Taeil wearing his things - it’s something he’s always yearned to do with a boyfriend because of how domestically intimate the act of sharing clothes is. Well. </p><p>He snaps a covert photo of Taeil from the back.</p><p>- <i>I’m at the airport now. Junnie, meet Taeil. He’s coming to meet the fam.</i></p><p>
  <i>- WHO??</i>
</p><p>
  <i>- I couldn’t banish the demon. It’s a long and very pathetic story but all of that cut short = he has to come with me to meet my mother gods Junnie I’m gonna die</i>
</p><p>
  <i>- are you telling me the person in that photo is the demon from this morning? and you’re bringing it home with you to jeju? on a plane?</i>
</p><p>
  <i>- yes.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>- i have no words for you donghyuck??? how did you even arrive at this decision??</i>
</p><p>Donghyuck sighs, puts his pride aside, and starts to type the entire morning’s happenings and discoveries into his next message to Renjun. It takes quite some time and a lot of creative expression on his part to try to downplay his own panic and stupidity but by the time he’s finished, he sees Taeil checking his ticket against the boarding call that’s sounding over the speakers. That’s another thing - thank the gods tickets to Jeju are cheap and readily available so getting Taeil another one when they arrived at the airport hadn’t been a problem. If he’d have been flying back to China like his roommates or, worse, <i>Canada</i> like his friend Mark Donghyuck would have had a breakdown in the middle of the departures terminal. </p><p>“You’ll make sure we get to change seats?” Taeil asks again for the nth time, looking up at him with worried eyes as they pick up their bags and get ready to move to the gate. The closer they’d gotten to boarding the more nervous and unsure of himself Taeil had become; the thought of losing his magic weighing heavily upon him and the news that his ticket actually seated him some rows behind Donghyuck because of the late time at which they’d bought it had alarmed him to no end. “You’ll ask someone to swap?”</p><p>“I will, don’t worry,” Donghyuck reassures him. “You won’t have to spend the entire flight away from me.” <i>And burning up in arousal</i> goes unsaid, Donghyuck’s mind choosing to skitter over that particular fact. </p><p>“And humans fly in these all the time? And they don’t die?”</p><p>“Planes are safe,” Donghyuck tells Taeil, biting back a smile as Taeil flips up the hood of his sweater in a very unconvinced manner. </p><p>“I don’t see how something so big and heavy can stay up in the sky without magic,” Taeil says stubbornly, dangerously on the edge of a pouty frown. </p><p>“It’s a kind of magic,” Donghyuck offers. “A magic called science.”</p><p>“Oh, <i>science</i>,” Taeil scoffs, and Donghyuck loses his internal battle and ends up grinning. If only Taeil knew that exact mood is the entire reason why Donghyuck is dropping engineering for music.</p><p>“Are you ready?” Donghyuck murmurs as they approach the air stewardess, his own Korean ID card safe in his hand but Taeil holding Donghyuck’s university student card in his instead. </p><p>“I’m still on land, my magic still works,” Taeil tells him resentfully. “It worked at the ticket counter just now and it’ll work here. Enjoy it while it lasts.”</p><p>“Okay, okay, magic boyfriend,” Donghyuck glances quickly at Taeil, grateful that they won’t need to re-check IDs once they land in Jeju and thinking back to his momentary freakout when he’d realised Taeil had no such thing in the way of a passport or an ID <i>only</i> when they’d already been on the way to the airport earlier. This whole morning had been one stressful thing after another, Donghyuck thinks. It may actually be a relief to finally be home with his family eating good things and sleeping in his old bed, even if he has to drag poor Taeil around with him.</p><p>Taeil ignores him to step up to the little gate counter and give his ticket and Donghyuck’s student card to the stewardess, who checks them and gives them back perfunctorily as if nothing is out of the ordinary at all. With a little satisfied smile, he hands both back to Donghyuck.</p><p>“Was it a glamour?” Donghyuck asks, as they walk down the corridor to the plane. “That was perfect, again.”</p><p>“Something like that,” Taeil says, looking pleased despite his nervousness about getting on the plane. “I just let her see what she wanted to see.”</p><p>This initial hurdle of the whole saga of getting on the plane is followed by a fraught twenty minutes of Donghyuck constantly looking over his shoulder at Taeil seated about three rows behind him and going through the whole process of turning slowly pink then flushing fully red and beginning to sweat and fidget until they become sure the seat next to Taeil is indeed empty and Donghyuck manages to hightail it over there <i>right</i> before takeoff. </p><p>“Here,” Donghyuck tells him awkwardly, fishing out a packet of tissues from his backpack and flapping his hands at Taeil to try to cool his blushing face. Taeil avoids eye contact and keeps one arm firmly over his crossed legs as he mops at his brow with a tissue in his other hand, Donghyuck feeling incredibly embarrassed on his behalf. “Sorry.”</p><p>The effects seem to subside quickly enough for Taeil to relax into his chair in a minute or so, and now that the urgency of dealing with the separation arousal is done his anxiety over what is going to happen over the next hour begins to push its way rudely to the forefront again. He clenches and unclenches his hands on his lap until Donghyuck reaches over to hold the one closest to him, just to try to calm Taeil down. </p><p>“You’ll be okay,” Donghyuck tells him firmly, trying to convince himself as well. They’d decided that Taeil should wear Donghyuck’s clothes instead of trying to conjure up new ones in case crossing the sea undoes all manifestations of Taeil’s magic - so that means he’s not likely to end up sitting next to a naked Taeil, but that the human body Taeil had chosen could still revert to Taeil’s true demonic form. Donghyuck prefers not to think about what the other passengers on the plane will possibly think about that particular eventuality, and chooses to only focus on positive things. For example, the fact that Taeil’s hand is smaller than his and is holding on to him just as tight, like he’d imagined someone would hold his hand during a scary-romantic horror movie date. Donghyuck <i>yearns</i>.</p><p>“Right, so,” Donghyuck clears his throat, trying to distract Taeil from the plane’s imminent take-off. “We need to iron out all the details about you that I’m going to tell my family. Remember, you’re supposed to be my friend from university who couldn’t go home like you planned.”</p><p>“What do we need to decide?” Taeil answers, voice a little strained as the plane picks up speed. Donghyuck strokes Taeil’s hand with his thumb soothingly. </p><p>“Do you want to be older or younger than me?” </p><p>“I’m obviously older than you,” Taeil says as if this is the most ridiculous thing he’s ever heard. “I’ve been in existence for thousands of your human years.”</p><p>Donghyuck sniggers. “Okay, grandpa. You’re my hyung, then. Um, how good are you at charming middle-aged human women?”</p><p>Taeil makes a confused face at him. “Pretty good, I think, but what does that have to do with anything?”</p><p>“My mother. If she likes you then saying you’re a senior from the faculty of music would be to my advantage since I’m going to have to tell her I’m dropping engineering to do that instead. If you’re going to be awkward and weird then I should say you’re my hyung from engineering.”</p><p>“I am not awkward and weird,” Taeil says decidedly. “All the humans I’ve ever met have liked me very much.”</p><p>“Okay,” Donghyuck smiles, feeling a surge of fondness for this strange demon. “So… a senior from the faculty of music that I met when trying out for the vocal club which she already knows I’m part of. Um, three years older? Let’s go with that. You’re twenty-four and I’m twenty-one, okay? Remember.”</p><p>“Okay,” Taeil nods seriously, the strength of his concentration almost cute.</p><p>“Alright. Now, why aren’t you able to go home?”</p><p>Taeil looks at him and shrugs, wide-eyed, and Donghyuck has to admit this one is stumping him a bit. Why wouldn’t someone be able to go home as planned at the end of the semester?</p><p>“What if you failed your exams and you’re scared to go home because your parents will be upset? No, you have to be a perfect student representative of the Music department. What if - what if you live in a really remote province and the trains there have been cancelled?”</p><p>“But why would they be cancelled?”</p><p>“Ugh, true. It’s summer, it’s not snowing or anything,” Donghyuck concedes, and then sits up straighter in a sudden burst of inspiration. “Oh! What if - what if your sister has suddenly given birth earlier than expected and your parents have to go look after her and she lives in a different province? And it’s not that they don’t want to see you but your sister is the priority right now?”</p><p>“Is she okay?” Taeil asks a touch concernedly, and Donghyuck squeezes his hand. </p><p>“She’s okay. They just don’t want you to be underfoot and maybe her apartment isn’t big enough for all of you to be there.”</p><p>“Okay then. Sister gave birth early, no space for me. Got it.”</p><p>“And because I like you so much and you’ve never been to Jeju I asked you to come with me. Sounds reasonable,” Donghyuck muses, trying to think of anything that could go wrong. The list rapidly becomes too long, so he stops that train of thought. “We’ll just have to hope for the best. And that Johnny will come through soon.”</p><p>There’s nothing much to do after that so Donghyuck settles in for the rest of the short flight, offering Taeil one of his airpods to at least give him something else to do than worry about what’s going to happen the moment they cross the Jeju Strait. It’s all out of their hands now, and if Donghyuck ends up sitting next to a dark multidimensional entity he supposes they’re near enough to the rear plane bathroom to be able to smuggle Taeil in there without the <i>whole</i> plane going up in a panic. Positive thinking always!</p><p>Donghyuck feels absolutely exhausted as if he’s run a marathon and lived a whole month in the hours since he’d woken up at eight that morning. No matter how pleasant and endearing Taeil in human form is turning out to be nothing can change the fact that Donghyuck is bound to a demon who cannot be more than three metres apart from him for the foreseeable future. Even if he survives this home visit how is he going to go to <i>classes?</i> The thought hits him that they aren’t going to be able to take a plane home because of the initial ID check, either, if Taeil's magic doesn't return in time - they’re going to have to take a ferry and then a train all the way back to Seoul - </p><p>Donghyuck jerks awake half an hour later as the plane’s wheels hit the tarmac rather hard and he turns to Taeil with a jolt. Taeil is already looking at him accusingly as if he can’t believe how Donghyuck could have fallen asleep while the possibility of Taeil turning back into his Hell denizen self was hanging over their heads, but the fact is that Taeil is human with a nose and eyes and a face and his fluffy head of hair and Donghyuck’s slightly-too-long hoodie sleeves nearly covering his hands. Donghyuck breathes a sigh of relief. He supposes that the screams of terror should Taeil have un-manifested would have woken him up before this, anyhow, so all’s well that ends well. <i>For now.</i></p><p>He takes back his left airpod from Taeil, smiling encouragingly as Taeil raises an eyebrow at him ruefully. </p><p>“How does it feel to be more or less human, hyung?” Donghyuck asks, figuring he might as well get used to how he’s going to have to address Taeil while in his mother’s house. </p><p>The look Taeil gives him is so dirty Donghyuck can’t help laughing. </p><p>**</p><p>“Here we are,” Donghyuck announces, feeling a tug in the middle of his chest pulling him to run up the garden to his front door like he always used to do when he was younger, ever so happy to be home. He almost would have done the same if not for checking on Taeil to make sure he’s properly out of the taxi with his bag and ready to enter the lion’s den - also known as Donghyuck’s mother’s house. There's a reason why Yangyang and his mother get along really well.</p><p>“You live so near the sea,” Taeil breathes, face turned irresistibly towards the sound of the waves they can both hear in the distance before he scrunches it up in distaste.</p><p>“It’s beautiful,” Donghyuck admonishes, but before he can say any more his front door bangs open and his mother appears, framed by the backlight from the kitchen like a terrifying avenging angel. Donghyuck clutches his bag closer to his body on instinct.</p><p>“Lee Donghyuck!” She yells. “<i>How dare you drop out of school?</i>”</p><p>Donghyuck’s jaw falls open almost comically as his mother advances down the garden path, the heads of his siblings peeking out from behind the open door so as to watch the show but not get close enough to be drawn into the crossfire. </p><p>“Eomma I haven’t - who told you that? I haven’t dropped out!” Donghyuck finds himself edging away unconsciously the closer his mother gets, Taeil looking between the two of them in apprehension. Finally Taeil backs away close to the main gate to give the showdown space enough to play out. </p><p>“Soobin told me,” Donghyuck’s mother says, one accusing finger held up at him. “She told me you dropped out of engineering. What on earth were you thinking? Do you want to be disowned?”</p><p>“I haven’t dropped out of university!” Donghyuck answers hurriedly, shooting a death glare at his sister still safely sheltered inside the house. “It’s not the same thing! I’m just changing majors!”</p><p>“Without even talking to me first?” His mother shouts. “You tell your sister before-” </p><p>As his mother turns towards the house to gesture at Donghyuck’s aforementioned sister she abruptly catches sight of a meek Taeil trying to be inconspicuous and she stops dead mid-sentence as if she can’t believe what she’s seeing. </p><p>“And who is this?” She asks Donghyuck, as if Taeil is a menace of unknown origin that Donghyuck has deliberately brought here to test her patience even further. </p><p>“He’s my friend from university,” Donghyuck blurts out, grateful for the change in topic even though Taeil looks like a deer caught in the headlights. “He was supposed to go home too but he can’t because his family has an emergency. He won’t be able to see them the <i>whole summer</i> and he was going to be left in the dorms <i>all alone</i>. With nobody to talk to or proper food to eat. He would have been eating nothing but ramyeon for two months,” Donghyuck adds, laying it on as thick as he dares. “I couldn’t just leave him there. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier but I only found out this morning.”</p><p>“I - I’m sorry if I’m intruding-” Taeil begins, finally finding his voice, but the change that comes over Donghyuck’s mother is astounding. If Donghyuck hadn’t known better he’d have said he was witnessing a shapeshifting demon at work, the way she deflates and rounds out to become the very picture of a welcoming mother, warm and comforting with promises of good food and love just around the corner instead of a Valkyrie bent on smiting the unworthy (Donghyuck). </p><p>“Oh, my poor boy! And what’s your name?” </p><p>“Taeil,” Taeil says, because that is all he can say.</p><p>Donghyuck’s mother’s smile does not shift a bit. “Do you not have a family name, dear?”</p><p><i>Oh, shit.</i> Donghyuck’s brain fizzes as he stares in terror at Taeil standing next to the gate. <i>The gate!</i> “Moon!” he near-yells out, his mouth working almost without his knowledge. “His name is Moon Taeil. You’ve scared him with all your shouting, eomma. He can’t even remember his full name.”</p><p>Donghyuck’s mother sends him a sharp look full of assurance that that comment will be coming back to bite him in the ass later, but it does the trick. She softens even further and goes to put her arm around Taeil, herding him gently but surely towards the house and leaving her own son that she birthed herself to follow behind them like an afterthought. </p><p>“We’ve got a lot of food, so don’t worry, I always prepare extra when Donghyuck comes home. Will you be alright to sleep in Donghyuck’s old room? I’ll give you a mattress and a lot of pillows but I’m afraid that’s the best I can do because we don’t have an extra room in the house but I’m sure you’ll be comfortable if Donghyuck is truly a good friend because then he will give you his bed and he can sleep on the floor. Do you like chicken? I made dak bokkeumtang-”</p><p>Donghyuck sighs and trails behind, contemplating how close he came to being obliterated by his own mother right in the road in front of his house if not for Taeil’s presence. Speaking of which: he looks up at the house and makes eye contact with Soobin The Traitor who disappears the very next instant. Donghyuck narrows his eyes - sistercide is imminent.</p><p>**</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>* the korean word for 'gate' is the same as taeil's surname.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>shoutout to nuelisca@twt for being so sweet. this one is for you, until i finish this 20k (or more lol) fic. thank you!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sistercide has to be put off temporarily because Soobin - seventeen year-old turncoat who <i>used to be</i> Donghyuck’s primary familial confidant and childhood best friend - is smart enough not to let Donghyuck catch her alone. She sticks to her mother out of self-preservation, sweetly asking what she can help out with to prepare for dinner, and so Donghyuck is left to deal with the Twin Terrors as he shows Taeil around the small house and backyard stocked with traditional stone pots standing ready for pickled and fermented goodies in the winter. </p><p>“How old are you? Are you very old?”</p><p>“Do you like football? Do you play football? Who’s your favourite footballer? Is he Son Heungmin? Son Heungmin is the best footballer in the world-”</p><p>“Where are you from?”</p><p>“-you want to see my Son Heungmin jersey? I got it for my birthday last month-”</p><p>“Are you from Seoul? Is Seoul big? Hyung never wants to tell me anything about Seoul. He’s so mean but he’s still better than Soobin noona. Soobin noona is always trying to make me do my homework-”</p><p>“Coming home may have been a mistake,” Donghyuck mutters, watching Taeil valiantly try to field all the nonstop questions from his ten year-old identical twin brothers agog at the idea of a visitor from Seoul, which to them is as far away and as unimaginable as Mars. He heaves a sigh of relief as the short tour comes to an end; it’s a low one-storey house built along the same principles of traditional Jeju homes but with a modestly nice garden and backyard where Donghyuck used to play growing up, and he never realised till now how he might feel showing it to an outsider. Taeil must have met all sorts of humans in his time and seen all sorts of homes - mansions, castles even, and ultra-modern apartments - Donghyuck finds himself worrying a little what Taeil may think of his humble home set a good way away from downtown Jeju. He’s never had to really think about it before - it was just his house, but now he’s looking at his cheerfully messy backyard and small bedroom with furniture he’s had since he was little with new eyes.</p><p>“Okay, Taeil hyung is tired and wants to rest from his journey so stop bothering him,” Donghyuck declares, peeling off each twin from where they’ve attached themselves to either side of Taeil. “Eomma! We’re going outside for a while!”</p><p>“No, you’re not,” his mother shoots back instantly from the kitchen. “Come here.”</p><p>Donghyuck flails slightly. He was not expecting the reckoning to be this soon, but better to get it over and done with as early as possible so he doesn’t have to fear for his life over the next few days waiting for it to happen. Taeil follows him into the kitchen as Soobin shuffles quickly past them, head down, and when Donghyuck’s mother sees them she smiles at Taeil and hands him a plate of cut watermelon. </p><p>“You can go outside and eat this. I need to talk to Donghyuck.”</p><p>“He can stay!” Donghyuck says quickly. “This is about university, right? He can answer whatever questions you have about the Music department. Since he’s a senior there and all.”</p><p>Taeil wavers between them with the plate held tight in his hands. Donghyuck feels so sorry for him - if he leaves the kitchen like Donghyuck’s mother wants him to he’s going to be in a <i>very</i> compromising position <i>very</i> soon but defying Donghyuck’s mother is also a daunting prospect, magicless as he is and living under her roof for the time being. </p><p>“Is that so? You’ve thought of everything, haven’t you? Even to the point of bringing home someone who just <i>conveniently</i> happens to be from the faculty you’re transferring to? Do you think your mother is stupid?”</p><p>Donghyuck launches into a fiery speech about his life and passion and dreams while Taeil unobtrusively slides into a chair at the dining table, trying not to eat his watermelon too loudly.</p><p>“I was so miserable, eomma. I hated going to classes. Vocal club was the only time I felt <i>alive</i>.”</p><p>“You know what else will make you feel alive? Getting a regular paycheque with which you can buy food and pay your bills that <i>keep</i> you alive. What are you going to do with a music degree? Sing on the streets for coins that you will collect in your graduation cap?”</p><p>Donghyuck’s spirited answer wars with his mother’s equally spirited reply, and when Taeil chances a look up at them mid-bite of his last wedge of watermelon he abruptly finds himself the centre of attention.</p><p>“What jobs are you looking into when you graduate, Taeil-ssi?” Donghyuck’s mother’s eyes bore into him while Donghyuck tries to send him frantic eye-messages of his own.</p><p>Taeil swallows and wipes off a bit of stray watermelon juice at the side of his mouth. “I’m looking to apply for music production positions, both in separate music agencies as well as idol companies. I’ve completed a couple of internships and it was hard work but really interesting. They’re always looking for fresh talent with new ideas, whether it’s vocal production or, you know, general sound or instrument mixing, that sort of thing. I think it will suit Donghyuck very well, eomeoni. It’s challenging but also really satisfying when you get to see your work come to life if the songs get released. Especially if you work for bigger music agencies. The industry is so big now there’s no shortage of jobs.”</p><p>Taeil glances at Donghyuck, and Donghyuck sees him trying not to laugh at the way Donghyuck’s entire face has gone slack with shock. </p><p>“Well, yes, but,” Donghyuck’s mother rallies, rather taken aback. “Does it pay? Will you end up slogging away for peanuts?”</p><p>“It’s a respectable job. I had to do the research to show my own parents so they wouldn’t be worried for me,” Taeil smiles. “Don’t be afraid, eomeoni, we won’t end up on the street. And, I mean, junior engineers may not exactly make that much either. Especially if it’s one of the more traditional engineering fields. Better to do something we love than to be stuck in a job we hate, right?”</p><p>Taeil smiling at you in this way, Donghyuck thinks faintly, packs a hell of a punch. He hazards a peek at his mother to see her similarly fighting the urge to melt. </p><p>Instead, she gruffly shoves another plate of watermelon at him. “Right. You’re not off the hook yet for making a decision like this without telling me,” she turns to pin Donghyuck with a meaningful look. “But I need to finish up dinner here so the both of you can go and do something else in the meantime. Be back early in time to eat.”</p><p>They barely make it out of the house into the garden before Donghyuck grabs Taeil, nearly jostling the plate right out of his hands.</p><p>“Where on earth did all that come from?”</p><p>“A producer for an idol company summoned me once because he was stuck working on the title song for one of his groups,” Taeil beams. “He needed help, and I was curious about what he did for a living. The song won the daesang that year. He summoned me a few more times over the next few years for more help and you could say I kind of learned on the job. It was fun.”</p><p>Donghyuck opens and closes his mouth a few times in the strength of his emotion. “Holy fuck. Did all of them win daesangs?”</p><p>“Maybe,” Taeil preens.</p><p>“Is there <i>anything</i> you don’t know? Like I could ask you any question about anything and you would more or less be able to answer based on your experience with all the humans who’ve summoned you?”</p><p>“Well, no,” Taeil blinks. “But I could probably lie convincingly enough.”</p><p>“That part about researching jobs to reassure your own parents,” Donghyuck shakes his head, feeling choked up with admiration. “That was the icing on the cake. You’re my new hero.”</p><p>Taeil beams again. “Do you think it worked?”</p><p>“Are you kidding me? Smile at her like that a few more times and she’ll probably want to adopt you and write you into her will. She’ll let me do whatever you say I should do,” Donghyuck stops and eyes him. “And this is you without magic?”</p><p>Taeil makes a face. “Why are you reminding me?”</p><p>“It was amazing, that’s all. I’ve never seen my mother give in that fast to anybody. Not even my dad.”</p><p>They begin to aimlessly walk down the garden path, late afternoon sounds and smells of the surrounding houses filtering through the sea air as Taeil generously offers some of his watermelon to Donghyuck. </p><p>“Where is your father? Or should I not ask?”</p><p>“He’s working in China,” Donghyuck tells him, feeling the usual pang of resignation that comes with talking about his father. “He doesn’t get to come home much, and it’s harder now we have to coordinate schedules in order to meet.”</p><p>“So your mother is in charge, basically?”</p><p>“And the queen rules with an iron fist,” Donghyuck says dramatically, secretly grateful Taeil has gently changed the direction of their conversation as he munches his watermelon. “Soobin’s leaving in another year for university too and then my mother’s going to be stuck here with the two devils. Luckily she’s also friends with half the village or I’d be worried about her here, living alone.”</p><p>“She seems really great,” Taeil tells him sincerely. “I mean, she was a little terrifying at first and she might have come close to killing you back there, but it was out of love.”</p><p>“You should have seen the hell she raised when I pierced my ears in high school,” Donghyuck mutters. “Anyway. If we keep going down this way we’ll reach the sea. Do you think you can handle that?”</p><p>“I’m not <i>afraid</i> of it,” Taeil scoffs, and Donghyuck is struck by how normal his interactions with this incredible, ancient being have been since they arrived - they could pass off as friends that have known each other for ages. The same innate <i>thing</i> Taeil has that sweetened up Donghyuck’s mother in record time must be working on him too, Donghyuck thinks; charisma, or something else more demonic. For the first time since that morning, Donghyuck allows himself to relax a little and stop worrying so much about what’s going to happen by the end of the trip. It hasn’t been a disaster so far, and Taeil doesn’t really seem to be resenting him too much for causing this entire situation - for now. That’s a start.</p><p>Out of gratitude for easing his way with his mother or for other reasons as yet undefined, Donghyuck becomes very aware as they amble down the road together that he really, really doesn’t want Taeil to be unhappy about being stuck here with him.</p><p>*</p><p>“I’m so full,” Donghyuck moans, slumping back in his chair after dinner. “I’m gonna explode.”</p><p>“You’re doing the dishes,” Soobin informs him sweetly. “So explode later. I helped eomma cook.”</p><p>“Do you hear something?” Donghyuck asks the table innocently. “I think the wind is blowing really strongly through a window somewhere.”</p><p>Soobin and Donghyuck begin a tense staredown while Taeil pats his stomach contentedly, looking like he’s thinking that if he had to be stuck on earth somewhere then at least it’s in a master chef’s house. Donghyuck wants to pat Taeil’s stomach too, but if he looks away from Soobin he’ll lose the eyefight. </p><p>“Taeil hyung-” pipes up one of the twins to fill the sudden quiet with probably another one of their neverending questions that had persisted all the way through dinner. To his great consternation he’s shushed immediately by his mother. </p><p>“Leave him alone,” she scolds. “If he’s not tired of listening to you go ‘Taeil-hyung, Taeil-hyung’ nonstop then I am. Start putting all the dishes in the sink for your hyung to wash.”</p><p>“Eomma!” protests Donghyuck, breaking eye contact as Soobin smirks victoriously. “Eomma, I have to show Taeil hyung where to wash up.”</p><p>“He’s a grown man and he knows where the bathroom is,” she tells him sternly. “He can go shower while you clean up here.”</p><p>“No, I’ll help him,” Taeil quickly offers. “It’s the least I can do for showing up unannounced.”</p><p>“Nonsense! You’re a guest, you will do no such thing,” Donghyuck’s mother tells him firmly, giving him a push out of his chair for good measure. “You go shower. Don’t worry about Donghyuck.”</p><p>Seeing Taeil’s hesitation, Donghyuck’s mother squeezes his arm. “You’re a very good boy for wanting to help, but Donghyuck knows he’s not just here to eat and sleep like this is a hotel. He’ll be done soon. Go on.”</p><p>Taeil and Donghyuck exchange a helpless look, and the moment Taeil turns to leave the kitchen Donghyuck bolts out of his seat, bulging stomach full of chicken notwithstanding. He quickly gathers up all the remaining plates on the table that his brothers haven’t transferred to the sink yet and deposits them in the sink with a clatter. Donghyuck then starts hunting frantically for the dishwashing gloves. </p><p>Soobin stares. “Slow down, you’re going to break something, idiot!”</p><p>Donghyuck spares a second to stick out his tongue at her before grabbing up the sponge. </p><p>“Eomma, I think oppa’s been possessed,” Soobin declares. “Look at him.”</p><p>“Then may he be possessed more often,” their mother retorts, in the middle of wiping down the dining table. “You too, then maybe you’ll clean up your room without me nagging you for weeks first.”</p><p>“Oppa,” Soobin says charmingly as she changes tack and sidles up to him at the sink, Donghyuck staring at a plate wondering what the minimum standard of ‘clean’ he can get away with is so he can finish up here quickly and get back to Taeil as soon as possible. “Does your sunbae have a girlfriend?”</p><p>Donghyuck nearly drops the plate. </p><p>“Excuse me?”</p><p>Soobin grins. “He’s very cute.”</p><p>Donghyuck turns around to report his hellion of a sister to his mother immediately only to find she’s already collected the twins and driven them out of the kitchen. </p><p>“Even if he had ten girlfriends or no girlfriends at all it would make no difference to you,” Donghyuck retorts hotly. “You’re not even eighteen yet. What are you thinking?”</p><p>“Who said I was thinking about anything?” Soobin replies, eyes wide and innocent. “I was just asking.”</p><p>“Well, don’t,” Donghyuck snaps. “I’m still mad at you for telling eomma I dropped out. Why are you even talking to me?”</p><p>“I didn’t!” Soobin argues back stridently. “She overheard us on the phone and jumped to conclusions. I wouldn’t do that to you, you <i>know</i> that.”</p><p>“Yeah, right,” Donghyuck snorts. “Then why have you been avoiding me all afternoon?”</p><p>“I told you, your sunbae is cute,” Soobin mutters, cheeks going pink. Donghyuck stares, forgetting for a few moments his speed-dishwashing mission. <i>Yeah. He is cute. He’s also a demon who’s been bound to me by a spell I fucked up and is now burning up with arousal in the bathroom until I can get back to him. How does he not hate me yet?</i></p><p>Donghyuck clears his throat, turning back to the sink with Soobin wordlessly pitching in to help wash off the dishes he’s scrubbing and soaping up. They finally finish up together, Donghyuck shucking the gloves in a hurry but pausing to regard his sister. </p><p>“He’s too old for you, Binnie,” he starts, feeling immensely awkward. He’s never really had to do the whole older brother shtick and to feel like he needs to warn his own sister off an ancient demon in human form is a whole other situation he isn’t prepared for. “Remember that, okay?”</p><p>“I <i>know</i>,” Soobin grumbles. “I’m not dumb. Are you still mad at me?” </p><p>Donghyuck pets her hair. “No. Until the next time you do something to piss me off, anyway.”</p><p>Soobin rolls her eyes, but Donghyuck only catches part of it before he’s running out the kitchen. It definitely hasn’t been as long as when they were in the plane waiting for takeoff, but Donghyuck panics every time Taeil is put in this position. What if he complains to Johnny and Johnny decides to curse him, or worse? Donghyuck hasn’t forgotten about Johnny suggesting Taeil just off him to get out of the binding, and doesn’t think he’s going to forget for a long time. This Johnny character is definitely not high on Donghyuck’s favourite people list.</p><p>More than that, he just feels <i>bad</i>- </p><p>He bursts into his bedroom to find Taeil rolled up in his blanket on his bed like a large pupa, the only part of him visible being his slightly flushed face. </p><p>“I came as fast as I could,” he says, and then winces a little internally at his choice of words given what Taeil’s going through. “Are you okay? I’m so sorry.”</p><p>“I know you’re sorry,” Taeil answers wryly. “You say it every time this happens.” Taeil sits up and throws off the blanket from around his shoulders, his freshly-showered hair still wet and lying flat on his head from where it’s been pressed down by his self-made cocoon. “But you’re here now.”</p><p>He’s wearing another set of Donghyuck’s clothes - shorts and a shirt this time, and Donghyuck notes the way he casually-not casually keeps the blanket across his lap. Donghyuck swallows hard, because it is suddenly too much. For the first time since he’s accepted his own sexuality he’s got a boy - more or less - in his room, in his bed, and that boy is hot and bothered because of him but not really <i>because</i> of him. It’s too much, and Donghyuck doesn’t know what to do with the unexpected waterfall of confusing emotions spilling aloud in his chest. If things were different; if they were a normal couple and Taeil really was his boyfriend he was bringing home to meet his family who wouldn’t bat an eye at the fact Taeil isn’t a girl - </p><p>“Donghyuck?” Taeil asks gently, and Donghyuck realises to his horror he’s been staring. </p><p>“My turn to shower now,” Donghyuck makes himself say, grabbing a change of clothes from his own bag without really looking at what he’s picked out in his nervousness. “The bathroom is not that far from here, as you know - you’ll be fine. Be back soon.”</p><p>*</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Of course, because the universe wasn’t done with him yet, Donghyuck belatedly found he had grabbed two shirts instead of a top and bottom to change into once he was done with his shower and he’d already tossed the clothes he’d been wearing that day onto the bathroom floor which had gotten wet during the course of his shower because their shower curtain was too short to cover the entire bath area and stop water from coming out <i>so</i> - </p><p>Taking a deep breath, he’d had to shuffle back into his room with his short towel wrapped tightly around his waist. </p><p>Taeil had slowly looked him up and down and raised an eyebrow. Donghyuck, having exchanged the extra shirt for pants and holding his towel closed in a death grip, could only walk out again with as much dignity as he could muster. Normally something like this wouldn’t phase him - he’s seen more of Yangyang than he ever originally wanted to and after a while he figured if Yangyang didn’t care about walking around the dorm in his underwear then Donghyuck didn’t either, much to Dejun’s chagrin - but it’s different with Taeil like a maddening itch he can’t scratch. </p><p>Now, lying in the quiet dark on the extra mattress his mother had dug up for him so his honoured guest could have the bed, Donghyuck finally surrenders himself to the horde of thoughts he’s been trying to keep at bay.</p><p>He doesn’t know how to approach any of this. There are so many layers to this whole insane situation that any one thing coming undone would be cause for panic; his family finding out about his magic; his family finding out about his sexuality; his family finding out Taeil is tied very closely to both of these things; Johnny possibly not being able to free them from the binding; Taeil finally getting fed up of being stuck with him and murdering him despite his earlier resolutions - Donghyuck can’t really picture Taeil murdering anybody, but faced with an indeterminate length of time bound to someone who causes him to have inconvenient bursts of desire he never asked for is something that could possibly make anyone snap, even someone that seems to be as sweet-natured as Taeil. Can demons even really be sweet-natured? Is it all an act? </p><p>All of that aside, furthermore, Donghyuck never expected to be forced to confront his belated - it’s belated, right? Didn’t most people already know who they were in high school? - acceptance that he might not be a hundred percent heterosexual in such a punch-to-the-gut way. Being out at college among his close friends and open to the idea of dating a guy should he find someone he’s interested in is one thing - but this, <i>this</i>, is one hell of another. </p><p>Donghyuck feels like rolling himself up in his blanket the way Taeil had done earlier to shut out all the overwhelming thoughts within him. He’s got a message from Renjun waiting he doesn’t know how to answer - <i>how are things?</i> Renjun had asked, and Donghyuck didn’t really know what to say just now and he doesn’t know what to say now, either. Good, but also not so good. Not bad, but also not… fantastic? As good as things possibly could be? Is he just ignoring how bad things really are?</p><p>“I can hear you thinking from up here. So loud I can’t sleep.”</p><p>Donghyuck inhales quickly, thinking that the sound of Taeil’s sleepy voice sounding so intimate in the darkness is the last thing he needs right now. </p><p>“Sorry. Um, do you even need to sleep?”</p><p>“Usually I don’t. But being in this human body makes me need the things it needs. Are you okay?”</p><p>“Yeah. Just not used to being on the floor in my own room.”</p><p>“We can swap, if you want? It doesn’t matter to me.”</p><p>“If my mother finds out I made you sleep on the floor my life will not be worth living. It’s really okay.”</p><p>“I like your family a lot,” comes a few moments later, much softer and more private, and Donghyuck unravels at the sound. </p><p>“Even the twins? You can have them,” Donghyuck jokes instinctively, and Taeil’s low answering laugh just makes it worse. He tries really hard not to think of his sister telling him how cute she finds Taeil - he’s got eyes, he can see how cute Taeil is for himself. But that’s neither here nor there, and if she only knew what his true form looks like - the abrupt realisation that Donghyuck doesn’t find the memory of Taeil’s true demonic form appalling or frightening anymore adds another brick of confusion to the wall of complications he’s slowly building. But how can he, when said demon is wearing Donghyuck’s ratty old high school PE uniform as pajamas and was last seen to be hugging one of his Shinchan plushies to sleep? </p><p>And then the entire awful issue of Taeil feeling desire for him as part of the miscast spell - Donghyuck cringes, not wanting to acknowledge how so far he’s been pushing himself to think of it as nothing more than just Taeil feeling itchy or sticky, or something; something that needs to be alleviated, but not - his brain throws up the image of how people usually alleviate feeling aroused, and Donghyuck grits his teeth. He doesn’t know how to deal with the full implications especially with Taeil lying <i>in his bed</i> just a reach away. What does Taeil think about, when the desire hits him? Does he let himself fantasize about Donghyuck? Oh god, does the spell force him to focus on Donghyuck even though he doesn’t want to? Does he - Oh my god, Taeil is <i>naked</i> under his clothes, <i>Donghyuck’s</i> clothes - </p><p>“Can I - can I ask you something?” Donghyuck shuts his brain down and opens his mouth instead, not sure if he really wants to know the answer to what he’s about to ask. He wonders if his friends would recognise him now: his college personality (is it his true one? Or the one he wishes he had?) usually has little room for insecurity and second-guessing.  </p><p>“Sure.”</p><p>Donghyuck takes a deep breath to sift through all the thoughts hitting him at high speed. “When we’re apart, and you... feel the effects. Is that something you’ve felt before?”</p><p>Taeil doesn’t answer right away, which is just about the worst thing ever. </p><p>“You mean, do demons feel sexual desire?”</p><p>Donghyuck feels fourteen again with the way his face starts to heat up at hearing Taeil say those words. </p><p>“Yes,” he replies in a small voice. </p><p>“Depends on the kind of demon you are,” Taeil tells him, which is quite emphatically <i>not</i> an answer. </p><p>“And what kind are you?” Donghyuck asks, voice even smaller yet. </p><p>“The kind that does.”</p><p>Donghyuck bites his lip. <i>Right.</i> He’s entirely aware that these are not questions you ask someone you haven’t even been acquainted with for twenty-four hours but he can’t stop himself, like falling down a hill. </p><p>“Have you ever - with a human- <i>as</i> a human-”</p><p>Taeil is quiet again, longer this time, and Donghyuck loses his nerve the same time Taeil finally answers.</p><p>“Sorry, I shouldn’t be asking you-”</p><p>“Are you propositioning me?”</p><p>“What?” Donghyuck nearly chokes on his tongue. “No! No, no no. No, I am not - doing that. No. I’m just curious. I promise. I’m sorry? Nevermind, you don’t have to answer.”</p><p>Donghyuck squeezes his eyes shut. Thank the gods Renjun can't see the blithering mess he is right at this moment.</p><p>“I mean - it’s within the bounds of the spell, anyway, it wouldn’t be abnormal for you to ask,” Taeil trails off, and Donghyuck is about to dig his way into the floor with nothing but his shoulder blades and fuelled by abject humiliation.</p><p>“That’s not what I meant,” Donghyuck whispers, miserable. “I’m going to sleep now. Goodnight.”</p><p>Taeil clears his throat. “Yeah. Goodnight.”</p><p>*</p><p>Needless to say, it’s awkward the next morning. </p><p>“Did you two fight?” one of the twins asks plainly in the middle of breakfast, staring at the two of them quietly eating next to each other. They’d quietly washed up when they woke, quietly gotten dressed for the day, and how Donghyuck wishes the comforting power of silence was something his brothers subscribed to as well.</p><p>“You’re not talking to each other. Who started it?” the other brother continues. “Eomma, they’re fighting. You said we’re not allowed to fight with each other.”</p><p>Donghyuck turns to look at his mother. “Why couldn’t you and appa have stopped after you had Binnie?”</p><p>“They’re entertaining sometimes,” his mother answers with a sigh as Taeil hides a smile in his soup. “Boys, they’re not fighting. Not everybody talks nonstop like the two of you.”</p><p>“Hmm,” the original brother says, sounding skeptical. “They’re acting like when Minjae and I fight. They’re not even looking at each other. I saw them waiting for the bathroom earlier, and-”</p><p>“Drop it, Lee Minchan,” Donghyuck warns. </p><p>“Oppa,” Soobin cuts in with a smile, offering the plate of sliced omelette only to draw back when Donghyuck automatically puts out a weary hand to receive it. </p><p>“Not you,” she frowns at him before smoothing her expression out sweetly once more. “Taeil oppa, have some more of this.”</p><p>Donghyuck looks at the way she’s holding it out at an angle to Taeil sitting next to him instead and feels a family-induced headache coming on. </p><p>“Thanks,” Taeil takes the plate from her and puts some into his bowl of rice, and then takes some more and puts it into Donghyuck’s bowl too. Donghyuck pauses at the familiar action, glancing at Taeil. Taeil isn’t looking at him, focusing on somewhere above Minjae’s head. </p><p>“They <i>are</i> fighting,” Minchan observes with satisfaction. “That’s what appa does to eomma when she’s mad at him and he wants to say sorry.”</p><p>“Oh my god,” Donghyuck says under his breath, feeling warmth overcome his ears. </p><p>“We’re not fighting, Channie,” Taeil reassures him. “Everything’s fine.”</p><p>“Is it?” Donghyuck’s mother asks. </p><p>“<i>Yes</i>,” Donghyuck tells her.</p><p>“You <i>are</i> a bit quiet,” she declares.</p><p>
  <i>Taeil thought I was asking him for sex last night and considering under the spell I don’t know if it is even possible for it to be consensual or not it’s just several types of horrible right now!! I’m awkward because I’ve never even kissed a boy before much less outright asked one to sleep with me!! He’s probably embarrassed for me because never in a million years would he have any sort of feelings towards me without the spell!!!! That’s all!!!!</i>
</p><p>“Just tired from the flight yesterday,” Donghyuck smiles. “We’re going down to the seaside today.”</p><p>“We are?” Taeil turns to him, eyes wide. </p><p>“Yup!” Donghyuck grins manically, everyone at the table looking at him. “We are!”</p><p>“Can I come?” Soobin pipes up excitedly. </p><p>“No!”</p><p>“Why not!”</p><p>“Take your sister, she’s on vacation too,” Donghyuck’s mother says reproachfully. “In fact, why don’t you take everybody? Let me have a few hours of peace in the house.”</p><p>And that is how they all end up at the seaside an hour later. </p><p>Donghyuck shakes his head in resignation at the screeching ensuing from Minchan-or-jae shoving wet sand down Soobin’s shorts further away by the waterline. They’re watching from where they’re sitting in the shade of a large overhanging rock to avoid the scorching summer sun, Taeil looking painfully adorable in a singlet and a pair of Donghyuck’s boardshorts that are too long on him. Donghyuck isn’t about to tell him that, though. Minutes pass in more silence between them, Donghyuck feeling a little desperate about what to do next. </p><p>“So what else does your father do when your mother is mad at him and he wants to say sorry?”</p><p>Donghyuck looks at Taeil out of the side of his eye to find Taeil studying him, faint smile on his face.</p><p>“I’m not mad at you,” Donghyuck mutters, pushing his toes into the sand. </p><p>“Yeah, but I jumped to conclusions I shouldn’t have yesterday and made you uncomfortable,” Taeil says with an unselfconscious ease that Donghyuck finds admirable. “So I’m sorry.”</p><p>“If anyone should be mad or uncomfortable in this situation it’s you,” Donghyuck wiggles his toes further into the warm sand. “So, really. It’s okay.”</p><p>“The answer is no, by the way,” Taeil continues, watching the twins now trying to carry Soobin into the surf. </p><p>“What?” </p><p>“To what you asked yesterday. If I’ve ever done it with a human. Or as a human.”</p><p>“<i>Right</i>,” Donghyuck coughs. “Okay. Fine. Thanks, I guess.”</p><p>“There are other kinds of demons for that,” Taeil informs him helpfully, and Donghyuck goes immediately red.</p><p>Taeil laughs at his embarrassment, and instead of making Donghyuck more embarrassed it lifts the glue of awkwardness that’s been wrapping itself around Donghyuck’s tongue and brain since this morning. Donghyuck smiles back grudgingly, enjoying how it feels to be able to breathe freely once more. </p><p>“Have you? Ever done it with a human? Or as a human?” Taeil grins. </p><p>“Please,” Donghyuck scoffs lightly. “The only queer people I know are all already dating or not interested in me.”</p><p>“How come?”</p><p>“I know, right? I’m so cute,” Donghyuck pretends to pout, and Taeil laughs a laugh Donghyuck hasn’t heard yet; a big, happy one accompanied by a light shove to the shoulder. </p><p>“So you’ve never…?” Taeil asks delicately.</p><p>“Never. Never been kissed by a boy, never been on a date with a boy, any of that,” Donghyuck admits, and it feels good to say it out loud like it’s a normal fact of life instead of a nagging worry he carries around inside. </p><p>“It makes sense now,” Taeil nods. “The spell.”</p><p>“I figured it out in the army. I dated a few girls in high school, but it never really went anywhere. And then suddenly I was surrounded by men, twenty-four-seven, and things became a <i>little</i> clearer to me,” Donghyuck raises a sardonic eyebrow. </p><p>“Sounds like that might have been quite stressful,” Taeil says carefully. </p><p>“You have no idea,” Donghyuck looks down at his half-submerged feet. “I was finding out all these things about myself and I was terrified someone else would realise. And then I was done with my army service and went to uni, and one of the very first friends I made just one day up and told me he had a boyfriend, he’s coming for lunch together, did I mind?”</p><p>Donghyuck laughs shortly. “It nearly knocked me over. Like, he didn’t care about people knowing? I mean, he’s from Canada, so that might have had something to do with it, but he’s still from a Korean family and all that, you know? And then through him I met all these other people and-”</p><p>Donghyuck clamps his mouth shut, suddenly feeling silly. “Sorry - I don’t know why I’m blabbering about all this to you.”</p><p>“I don’t mind,” Taeil tells him mildly. “It’s always interesting hearing about someone’s life. You’re not boring me.”</p><p>“Wow, you’re making a really good boyfriend so far,” Donghyuck jokes, and nearly jumps out of his skin when Soobin appears seemingly out of nowhere. </p><p>“Who’s a really good boyfriend?” She beams at them. “Come on, you two have sat here long enough. Aren’t you going to swim?”</p><p>“Um,” Taeil blurts out, voice suddenly gone up in pitch. </p><p>“We’re okay here, Binnie,” Donghyuck tells her firmly, but she isn’t paying attention to him. Donghyuck rolls his eyes, watching her start to wheedle Taeil to go into the water with her. </p><p>“I don’t like seaweed,” Taeil says, looking a little panicked. “In the sea. It’s gross.”</p><p>“There’s no seaweed in this part of the beach, it’s all clear,” she protests. “Come on oppa, please? The water is so warm and nice right now.”</p><p>“Okay, okay, you go ahead and we’ll catch up,” Donghyuck fends her off, getting to his feet. “Promise. We’ll be right there.”</p><p>Soobin runs away happily, and Donghyuck turns to Taeil grinning. “I thought someone said they weren’t afraid of the ocean?”</p><p>“I’m <i>not</i>,” Taeil argues. “I’ve just never - gone into it before.”</p><p>“Think of it as a really big swimming pool,” Donghyuck suggests. “That’s salty. And moves. And occasionally has animals in it.”</p><p>“That is not as helpful as you think it is,” Taeil scowls. “Demons don’t swim.”</p><p>“Why, you’re not going to dissolve like the witch in the Wizard of Oz, are you?”</p><p>Taeil gives him a withering look. “Why would we ever go into the sea or a river when it takes away our magic?”</p><p>“We-ll,” Donghyuck shrugs. “You’ve already lost your magic for now, so…”</p><p>“If I drown,” Taeil declares, starting to stomp off towards the water. “Johnny’s going to come after you. And I fully endorse whatever happens after that.”</p><p>The twins whoop joyfully at the sight of Taeil coming to join them, both boys running forward to take his hands and lead him into the surf together. Donghyuck jogs to keep up and stop them from flinging Taeil into the water in their high spirits, taking over the hand Minjae lets go of in order to throw himself onto Soobin instead. </p><p>“It feels nice, right?” Donghyuck tells him, gently pulling him further into the sea as Donghyuck walks with him. The look of distrust and distaste on Taeil’s face makes him want to break down laughing, but he holds it in. “Jeju’s beaches are the best. We all learnt to swim here before we were even five years old.”</p><p>Taeil’s up to his knees in the water now, and once the tiny lapping waves reach his thighs he lets go of Minchan who’s tugging him too enthusiastically into even deeper water towards his sister and other brother. </p><p>“Here’s good for me now, Channie,” he says, voice a little strained. Donghyuck turns his grin up towards the sun. </p><p>“I promise I won’t let go of you,” Donghyuck tells him, taking his other hand as well. “We’ll go slowly. Just waist height.”</p><p>Taeil flinches at the splashing as Soobin swims by, and grips Donghyuck’s hand tight. </p><p>“Look at you, you’ll have so much to tell your demon friends when you get back,” Donghyuck teases as they take another careful step. </p><p>“They’ll all think I’ve gone cr-” Taeil breaks off with a scream, his whole body convulsing. “What was that! Something touched me!”</p><p>Donghyuck can barely hold himself up with how he’s laughing so hard, Minjae popping up behind Taeil looking very proud of himself. </p><p>“It was me!” Minjae yells. </p><p>Taeil looks like he’s had a heart attack, and Donghyuck takes pity on him. “We can get out if you want. We’ll go find pretty shells or something.”</p><p>“No, I can do this,” Taeil stubbornly takes another step forward, Donghyuck quickly guiding him in surprise. They move in silence and concentration till the water is lapping quite a bit above Taeil’s waist and Donghyuck redoubles his hold on Taeil to keep him steady as the waves break against them. </p><p>Seagulls cry overhead as the smell of the sea swells with the wind ruffling their hair. </p><p>“This… isn’t horrible,” Taeil says eventually, and Donghyuck has to laugh.  </p><p>“If you hold on to my back I can tow you around like a boat,” Donghyuck offers. “I won’t swim too deep.”</p><p>Taeil has a moment of hesitation before he nods and Donghyuck turns around to let Taeil hook his arms around his shoulders. The feeling of Taeil pressed against him like this distracts him for a powerful moment, Donghyuck imagining he can feel little fizzes run up and down his skin wherever they’re touching but Minchan roaring in amusement at Taeil not being able to swim on his own jolts Donghyuck out of himself. It’s not such a bad distraction, Donghyuck thinks resignedly as he crouches and wades over; grounded forcefully before he gets sucked into a useless romantic fantasy aided by the sun, the sand and the sea.</p><p>Taeil starts giggling as Soobin tries to splash them, it immediately turning into a three-way team splashfight with the twins teaming up against Soobin on her own and Donghyuck and Taeil, and Donghyuck thinks, useless romantic heart yearning - a fantasy for a few minutes can't hurt.</p><p>*</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Renjun videocalling barely five seconds after he sends Renjun the happy photos of all of them both he and Soobin took at the beach that morning - laughing, covered in sand, going red because no one remembered to bring sunscreen - is, Donghyuck has to admit with a sinking feeling in his stomach, isn’t unexpected at all. </p><p>“Hi, Junnie, how was your flight home?” Donghyuck smiles extra brightly only for Renjun to glare harder. “<i>What</i>. Don’t tell me you called all the way from Jilin just to frown at me.”</p><p>“Someone has to since it’s obvious you’ve lost your mind,” Renjun tells him smoothly. “What are you <i>doing?</i>”</p><p>“I went down to the beach? I’m spending time with my family?”</p><p>“Oh, the demon is family now, is he?”</p><p>“What do you expect me to do? I can’t go anywhere without him, Jun, I told you. And it’ll look suspicious if I bring him all the way home with me and then just ignore him. Also, that’s just mean.”</p><p>“Going around together because you have no choice is one thing. Making hearteyes at him in photos while he piggybacks one of the twins who is giving him even bigger hearteyes is another.”</p><p>Donghyuck recoils. “I was <i>not</i> making hearteyes!”</p><p>“Sure. I know you, and this is not going to end well. Do not transfer your yearning for domestic bliss and attachment onto the demon, Donghyuck.”</p><p>Donghyuck scowls. “I am doing nothing of the sort. We’re just stuck together for now and I’m trying my best not to make things horrible.”</p><p>“I’m telling you not to fall in love with the demon just because he’s convenient and <i>there</i>. Are you listening to me?”</p><p>“Are <i>you</i>?” Donghyuck whisper-yells into the phone. “Why are you so convinced that’s going to happen?”</p><p>Renjun holds up a hand, ticking off his fingers as he recites. “First semester you fell in love with our machine learning module TA within the first week. Then it was love at first sight when Mark introduced you to Jeno. <i>Then</i> my brother when he flew over to visit me-”</p><p>“I had no choice with Jeno, okay?” Donghyuck splutters. “Nobody can look at his goddamn beautiful face when he’s smiling at you and <i>not</i> fall in love. I was basically kidnapped. Also, if engineering TAs didn’t want people to fall in love with them they shouldn’t go around with painted nails and a navel piercing while also looking like a young Miyavi. <i>Lastly</i> it was entirely your fault for showing me videos of Sicheng’s dance routines before he came over when you know how much I like dancers.”</p><p>Renjun doesn’t reply. He just stares. </p><p>“I am not going to fall in love with the demon, Jun,” Donghyuck stresses. “I'm <i>not</i>.”</p><p>“No matter how cute he is?”</p><p>“No matter how cute he is,” Donghyuck promises.</p><p>“So you think he’s cute? I knew it.”</p><p>“Wha- I’m just repeating what you said!”</p><p>Renjun sighs, relenting. “Just remember he’s not human, okay? We don’t really know or understand them. They’ve never befriended us and you know they can be dangerous.”</p><p>Donghyuck is reminded forcefully of lines in an old demonology book Renjun had ordered online that had made him very uneasy: <i>Humans are, ultimately, low dimensional lifeforms as far as Daemons are concerned. The fact that some humans have been able to wield magic approximating Their own is a source of interest, and They tolerate being summoned and partner in castings for this reason; a sort of magnanimous curiosity akin to the way humans tolerate and cooperate in play with their pets.</i></p><p>He knows it’s true, for the most part. He also knows Taeil isn’t like that, but it’s either keep quiet or brave another haranguing; he then thinks of the fact that Taeil is best friends with a demon who didn’t think twice about telling Taeil to kill him, and then he doesn’t know what to think anymore.</p><p>Donghyuck hears the bathroom door open and tries to school his face into some sort of neutrality. “He’s coming out of the shower. Enough of warning me not to propose to him.”</p><p>“Right. Well, I also called to say I’ve been working on seeing how I can help with your botched spell,” Renjun clears his throat. “Which has not been easy so far, seeing as apparently while I’m home I have to be paraded around to all the eligible women in the neighbourhood as a potential future husband.”</p><p>Taeil comes into the room, scrubbing at his wet hair with his towel, and Donghyuck is temporarily distracted from Renjun cursing the institution of marriage by Taeil’s lightly-sunburnt pink nose and cheeks that he knows match his own.</p><p>“-so, I think it’ll take some doing but I may be on to something. How long are you going to be in Jeju?”</p><p>“Two weeks,” Donghyuck answers. “What have you found?”</p><p>“I don’t want to say too much yet in case I’m wrong,” Renjun tells him. “But it involves another spell that incorporates elements of dissolution. I don’t know if it will work.”</p><p>“Well, everything helps,” Donghyuck tells him, trying not to look up at Taeil who’s come to stand by the bed and listen to the call as well. “Does it need ingredients? I don’t think I can get anything special while I’m here.”</p><p>“Well. It kind of needs the sacrifice of a live animal. So let me know if you’re going fishing anytime soon.”</p><p>“Ugh,” Donghyuck makes a disgusted face. “It’s that kind of spell.”</p><p>“Better to use fish you’re going to eat for lunch anyway than anything more <i>traditional</i>,” Renjun says, looking out of the screen for a moment. “I think I have to go. I’m being yelled at about something.”</p><p>“I’ll message you,” Donghyuck promises. “Thanks. Bye, Junnie.”</p><p>Taeil wriggles onto the bed next to him when Donghyuck hangs up, a look of disapproval on his face. “I don’t trust spells that need live sacrifices. All lifeforce given to power a spell should be given voluntarily, not taken from something that can’t consent.”</p><p>“You’re going to make me go vegetarian.” Donghyuck tosses his phone onto the mattress and watches it bounce. </p><p>“That’s different, you humans eat for survival. None of the spells that need this sort of thing are ever really essential.” </p><p>“Can we stop talking about this?” Donghyuck pleads. “Not after we had meat for lunch.”</p><p>Taeil grins, scrunching up his nose, and he immediately grimaces. “Ow. I think my burn is worse than it looks.”</p><p>“Come on, there’s sunburn cream in the kitchen with all the other medicine,” Donghyuck says. “I need a little too.”</p><p>They find the kitchen full of identical twin brothers but empty of Soobins and mothers, the boys sitting at the dining table and munching enthusiastically on something that looks like fried rice cakes with honey.</p><p>“How can you be hungry again so soon?” Donghyuck asks in disbelief as he heads towards the last kitchen cabinet in search of the sunburn cream. “We just ate an hour ago.”</p><p>“Eomma says we’re growing so we need to eat,” Minchan replies, garbled through a mouthful of sticky tteok. “Taeilie hyung, do you want some?”</p><p>“What about your Hyuckie hyung?” Donghyuck asks, head in a cabinet, only to be ignored.</p><p>Donghyuck turns around finally, cream in hand, to see three tteok-munchers where previously there were only two. </p><p>“It’s really good,” Taeil says defensively, only it comes out more like ‘eeks eawy gook’. He gets up from the table where Minjae had been solemnly feeding him and obediently offers up his face for the cream.</p><p>“Lazy butt,” Donghyuk mumbles, putting three small dots of the cream onto Taeil’s cheeks and nose. “First someone has to feed you and now someone else has to take care of your sunburn too?”</p><p>“Thank you,” Taeil smiles sweetly, and all Donghyuck can hear at the back of his mind is Renjun screeching dire warnings at him. </p><p>“Taeil hyung, why are you wearing our hyung’s shirt?”</p><p>Minchan has finished his share of the tteok, which means that he is now at leisure to cause chaos. He points at Taeil across the table. “That’s our hyung’s shirt.”</p><p>“No, it’s not,” Donghyuck scoffs, rubbing the cream into his own skin and trying to look unperturbed.</p><p>“Yes it is,” Minchan insists. “Look at the photo on the fridge.”</p><p>They look. </p><p>It’s a family photo taken at the airport, seemingly when Donghyuck first left for the mainland for university surrounded by luggage and his mother looking teary-eyed. Taeil would have been inclined to study it more closely to look at Donghyuck’s father standing close and proud next to his eldest son if not for the inescapable fact that Donghyuck is indeed wearing the exact same green Adidas shirt that Taeil is wearing now.</p><p>“It’s a common shirt,” Taeil explains calmly. “We just happen to own the same colour.”</p><p>“Then why do you also wear our hyung’s high school gym uniform to sleep?”</p><p>Donghyuck feels the kitchen floor sway under his feet. “What?”</p><p>“I said at breakfast I saw you two in the morning waiting to go wash up in the bathroom. Taeil hyung, you said you’re from Seoul. Why do you have a set of Hamdeok High School gym clothes?”</p><p>Minchan looks at them, patient, waiting. Minjae has stopped munching. Donghyuck wonders, faintly, if Renjun’s spell will accept younger brothers as the live sacrifice requirement.</p><p>“I forgot to pack pajamas,” Taeil shrugs. “Your hyung lent me his old gym clothes to sleep in so I would be more comfortable.”</p><p>They look at the twins. The twins look back. </p><p>“Oh. Okay,” Minchan says agreeably, and Minjae placidly resumes his tteok eating. “Can we go to the beach tomorrow too?”</p><p>*</p><p><i>Is it a good or bad thing</i>, Donghyuck muses, <i>that the most likely conclusion the kids can come to about why Taeil is wearing my clothes is that we’re one of those annoying couples who like to openly wear each other’s things and not because he’s a demon who doesn’t exactly own any human clothes of his own?</i></p><p>“Can you do some magic for me?”</p><p>Taeil’s soft voice jerks him out of his thoughts, both of them lying full and sated in Donghyuck’s bed after another one of Donghyuck’s mother’s amazing dinners that leave you unable to move for at least an hour. </p><p>“Magic?”</p><p>“Yeah. Anything. I miss it.”</p><p>Donghyuck considers this. “It must be strange for you, not being able to do magic at all.”</p><p>“I keep trying to make things happen and when they don’t I get so confused for a while. And I have to <i>walk</i> everywhere. How do you humans not get exhausted?”</p><p>“Yeah, that’s the worst part of being human, having to walk everywhere,” Donghyuck snorts. “You really are lazy.”</p><p>“I’m not lazy. I’m just a more evolved being.”</p><p>Donghyuck rolls his eyes. He thinks for a while, and then brings his hand up, palm out. He does one of the easiest things to do which Renjun taught him - persuade the molecules in the air to ignite and form a pure single flame nestled beautifully in the curve of his palm. Then he closes his fist and holds it over Taeil’s stomach so that the ensuing drops of water that seep out from between his fingers fall neatly onto his shirt and not the bedsheets. </p><p>Taeil sighs in appreciation. “Can you do light?”</p><p>Donghyuck focuses his intention and his ceiling lamp switches off, only to have little fairy lights blossom into life and illuminate the perimeter of the room. They flicker in strength as Donghyuck breathes, trying not to show off too much for Taeil’s benefit. </p><p>“That’s pretty,” Taeil whispers. “When did you first know you could do this? Magic, I mean.”</p><p>“High school, I guess.” Donghyuck makes the fairy lights float gently up and down to cast different shadows along the walls and ceiling. “There were always these… things that happened that I couldn’t really explain. Rain never drenched me the same way as it did my friends. Coincidences that were just <i>too</i> coincidental occurring right just as I needed them to. Knowing certain things were going to happen before they happened. Other people just thought I was really lucky.”</p><p>“But nobody is that lucky,” Taeil agrees. “I’m guessing Renjun’s the same way.”</p><p>“Yeah but the first time he said he knew I was like him I didn’t know what he meant,” Donghyuck laughs, thinking of that misunderstanding. “I thought he was trying to tell me he was gay too.”</p><p>“Is he?”</p><p>“No. I don’t think he has that kind of attraction for anyone.”</p><p>“He seems like a good friend,” Taeil tells him, reaching out to try to touch one of the fairy lights bobbing in the air near him. Donghyuck concentrates and makes it slide onto Taeil’s hand, nuzzling like a puppy. </p><p>“He is. He’s my best friend.”</p><p>Taeil watches the light, beaming as he rolls it gently around his hand. “Your control is really good.”</p><p>“When I’m sober,” Donghyuck says, deadpan.</p><p>Taeil laughs softly. “Is Renjun as good as you?”</p><p>“Way better,” Donghyuck admits, though it hurts his pride. “He’s had more time to practise.”</p><p>“You’re on your way,” Taeil says, letting the light float back into the air. “You’ll really be something someday. I can help you, if you want. We can cast together and I can show you things. When my magic returns, that is.”</p><p>
  <i>The fact that some humans have been able to wield magic approximating Their own is a source of interest, and They tolerate being summoned and partner in castings for this reason; a sort of magnanimous curiosity akin to the way humans tolerate and cooperate in play with their pets.</i>
</p><p>Donghyuck bites his lip and lets the lights slowly fade, the room ceiling lamp once again glowing back to its full brightness. </p><p>“Maybe. We’ll see.”</p><p>Donghyuck sits up, feeling as he usually does that the harsh light of his bedroom drives out every possibility of wonder and fantasy with the starkness of dull reality. “You want to go down and play something with the kids before bed?”</p><p>“Sure,” Taeil smiles. “But not for too long. You look tired.”</p><p>Taeil takes Donghyuck’s hand to help pull himself out of bed, still groaning a little about how full he is, and Donghyuck pretends he doesn’t feel the tingles in his hand as they go out in search of the others. </p><p>*</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Donghyuck groans loudly at the insistent knocking on his door. This is one thing he absolutely does not miss about home - one of his hell siblings waking him up way too early in the morning for the most stupid reasons like wanting to borrow something of his he’d already said they couldn’t have or to complain about the other two. He had been fully intending to sleep past eleven today - he’d gone an entire semester having to wake up three days a week for eight and nine a.m. lectures like a crazy person and he’s got a deep sleep debt to recover.</p><p>“<i>What!</i>” he growls, and Minchan pokes his head cheerily into the room. </p><p>“Eomma said to tell you if you don’t get up soon she’s not going to keep any breakfast for you. Hi, Taeilie hyung.”</p><p>Taeil rumbles an unintelligible morning greeting from beside Donghyuck, and Donghyuck is about to tell Minchan to bugger off when he does a double take. Taeil blinks sleepily next to him - on Donghyuck’s mattress, on the floor, Taeil’s own pillow brought down from the bed he <i>should</i> be in - and sits up with an effort. </p><p>“Minchan, tell eomma we’re not hungry,” Donghyuck says, heart pounding and catching the exact moment Taeil registers he’s been sleeping in the same bed as Donghyuck. Taeil freezes subtly, staring at their legs tangled up in the shared blanket, and Donghyuck suddenly doesn’t know what to do with any of his limbs.</p><p>“If you two are going to share a bed anyway can I come sleep in your room? Minjae farts at night and it stinks <i>so bad</i>-”</p><p>Donghyuck raises his head, sure the smile he’s plastered on his face is actually terrifying to look at from the way Minchan goggles at him in the way only kids can. </p><p>“Sorry, Channie, we just fell asleep talking last night. We do need both beds.”</p><p>“Yeah, I - I guess I was more tired than I thought. Sorry,” Taeil fumbles, turning to Donghyuck. Donghyuck keeps smiling until Minchan shrugs in disappointment and sees himself out.  </p><p>“Um,” Taeil begins, once they are alone again.</p><p>“You’re really taking this boyfriend thing seriously,” Donghyuck jokes weakly, willing his heart to shut up and stop banging against his ribcage. </p><p>“I’m sorry, I’m not sure what I’m doing down here,” Taeil tells him helplessly. “It has to do with the spell I guess? I needed-”</p><p>Donghyuck is thankful Taeil doesn’t finish the sentence, because if he hears Taeil say with his own two ears anything along the lines of <i>I needed to be closer to you</i> he’s sure his brain will just shut down.</p><p>“This is an interesting development,” Donghyuck bites his lip as Taeil gathers up his pillow and retreats back to his own bed. “Do you think it affects how far away you can be from me before you - the usual stuff happens?”</p><p>“We can test it again,” Taeil mumbles, ears red and busying himself with tidying up his bed. It’s cute - they’re both shy and embarrassed like it’s the first morning waking up together in the actual context of two people sleeping together and spending the night even though literally all that happened is they woke up in the same bed - no touching and definitely no cuddling had taken place. </p><p>Had it?</p><p>Donghyuck feels immediately stupid. He’s a deep sleeper, but not <i>that</i> deep. The very clear sensation of being disappointed, however, just like Minchan after being told he has to continue to sleep in the presence of Minjae’s nocturnal farts, is something Donghyuck cannot ignore. Is every morning going to bring some new surprise now? He’s not sure he can deal if tomorrow he wakes up with Taeil spooning him or something.</p><p>Well. Time to face the day before he gets lost in useless fantasies about morning-afters and first times. </p><p>“I don’t think I can sleep anymore. Want to go down for breakfast?” Donghyuck keeps his tone neutral to try to diffuse the awkwardness in the room. </p><p>Taeil nods gratefully, going to wash up and change out of his - Donghyuck’s - pajamas first. </p><p>“If I continue to eat like this this body is going to put on a few kilos,” Taeil declares on his way to the bathroom, looking wholly unworried by this fact. “Eating is one of the best things humans do.”</p><p>Donghyuck grins at him as he leaves the room, and then faceplants straight into his pillow.</p><p>*</p><p>And from there it begins. </p><p>Standing close enough to touch, fingers slowly grazing his forearm, a warm hand on his hip gone just as fast as it had arrived, thighs or knees pressing flush against each other under the table; and a frazzled Taeil getting ever more frazzled every time he realises what he was doing. </p><p>“The spell?” Donghyuck asks, thinking by the time evening rolls around that he deserves some kind of medal for the cool and collected behaviour he’s shown all day in the face of this attack of affection that he’s absolutely not immune to. </p><p>Taeil throws his hands up in the air in frustration. “It must be? I’m not even thinking about it when I do it and by the time I notice what I’m doing it’s already too late. Must be the same thing as this morning.”</p><p>They’re all in the backyard, watching the twins noisily try to beat their mother and Soobin at badminton. Taeil has bundled up his arms and legs into a ball in his chair in order to stop accidentally touching Donghyuck in front of his family and Donghyuck is the very embodiment of the dog in a burning room ‘This is fine’ meme.</p><p>“I don’t mind, you know,” Donghyuck mutters, taking a quick swig of his coke and half-hoping Taeil doesn’t hear him. </p><p>“Aren’t you worried your family will see?”</p><p>“Well, they know I’m the touchy type. I’m always hanging off my friends. And when I was younger I used to cuddle with my mother all the time.”</p><p>“Well, yes, but-”</p><p>Donghyuck looks over at Taeil. <i>But</i>. “Yeah. But you don’t have to worry that it bothers me. Does it bother you?”</p><p>“Only if it bothers <i>you</i>,” Taeil says, and then they both crack smiles at how ridiculous they sound. “I mean. This is rather low-level stuff, but I already woke up in your bed this morning. What’s going to happen tomorrow?” </p><p>Donghyuck sighs. “I think that I should never ever do magic, ever again.”</p><p>“Don’t say that,” Taeil admonishes, taking another canned drink from the cooler next to him and opening it. “I mean - you do scare me a little with how this spell is progressing, but at least you’re not a psychopath who would intentionally use his powers for evil.”</p><p>“Thanks,” Donghyuck harrumphs. “Sorry anyway. I feel like I’ve basically kidnapped you.”</p><p>“I’ve never been kidnapped before,” Taeil pretends to muse. “One thing to tick off my bucket list.”</p><p>Donghyuck can’t help but smile at this, knowing Taeil’s just saying anything to lighten the mood. Taeil smiles back, and unfolds himself to stretch while also putting an unconscious hand on Donghyuck’s thigh.</p><p>“Oh, for-,” Taeil snatches his hand back while Donghyuck feels an irresistible laugh bubble up in his throat. It’s partly a hysterical laugh but also genuinely amused; this may be an insane situation, but Taeil is endearing and cute and small and nice to talk to and Donghyuck can’t imagine being stuck with anyone else but him. He’s just so - <i>nice</i>. He has a nice laugh and a nice smile and is nice to him and nice to his siblings and his mother and the netherworld really did send him exactly what he wanted, didn’t it?</p><p>Donghyuck has never seriously thought about the concept of ideal types, or what kind of person he’d be most realistically compatible with. In high school as long as the girls were popular and pretty or cute that was enough - and then when he realised guys were more his speed the entire concept of actually dating a boy was so foreign and hard to wrap his head around that even with the real-life queer guys he’s met in university he realises with a jolt that he’s never actually engaged with the idea of being in a relationship with any of them. Even with Jeno, who is equally kind and nice and so handsome sometimes Donghyuck feels his eyes will melt if he looks at him for too long; Jeno, when Donghyuck was crushing on him, was merely an abstract idea. Someone who could, possibly, be someone’s boyfriend, but not <i>Donghyuck’s</i> boyfriend. </p><p>Donghyuck’s boyfriend - someone real he could learn from, someone easygoing, someone with whom he felt comfortable talking to about anything, someone supportive, who knew about his magic and didn’t freak out - not just someone to do cutesy couple things with as part of a larger fantasy of romance and hearts and fairytale endings.   </p><p>Donghyuck studies Taeil’s profile, drinking his drink in the dwindling light. Soon it will be dark and they will all go in and have dinner together, the twins hanging on to every word Taeil says and Soobin excitedly asking Taeil about university or Seoul and their mother being impressed at how much of her cooking Taeil is able to put away. And Taeil will laugh and smile and eat happily and turn to Donghyuck to grin as Donghyuck snarks something at Soobin or tries to stop his mother from telling embarrassing childhood stories. </p><p><i>Taeil may not be the boyfriend I can actually have</i>, he thinks. <i>But at least now I know the kind of person I should be looking for</i>.</p><p>**</p><p>“Sir Minchan,” Minjae begins formally. “May I speak to you?”</p><p>“You may, Sir Minjae,” Minchan replies solemnly. They’re noblemen tonight, walking around their room with their blankets around their shoulders pretending to be wearing long grand hanboks and impressive gats on their heads. Soobin sits on the floor between them pretending to be a prisoner, her hands loosely held behind her back because neither boy knows how to tie a good strong knot yet. She rolls her eyes expansively - there are so many other things she would rather be doing but their mother had bribed her to keep the twins out of her way so she could enjoy an hour or two of peace after dinner, and ten thousand won was ten thousand won.</p><p>“It is on the matter of our brother,” Minjae continues, Minchan nodding sagely. </p><p>“Ah, our brother. The enemy of Korea, the evil villain Donghyuck.”</p><p>“I thought that was Soobin noona?” Minjae breaks character to ask. “Channie, get it right.”</p><p>“Then who is Donghyuck hyung?”</p><p>“He’s the crown prince who is supposed to become king but is actually very useless and needs us powerful and intelligent noblemen to persuade the real King to let him take the throne.”</p><p>“Why don’t <i>we</i> take the throne?”</p><p>This stumps Minjae temporarily. “Because - because - two people can’t rule at the same time. Donghyuck hyung will become king and then we will tell him what to do.”</p><p>This satisfies Minchan. “Okay. What is it about our brother, the useless crown prince?”</p><p>Minjae lowers his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “We have seen how Taeilie hyung is wearing his clothes.”</p><p>“Yes,” Minchan nods. Soobin looks up.</p><p>“You have seen them sleeping in the same bed.”</p><p>Minchan nods again. Soobin’s eyes widen. “Excuse me?”</p><p>“Silence, evil villain! We have seen that they are together all the time.”</p><p>“Yes, Sir Minjae.”</p><p>“From this we can conclude,” Minchan finishes grandly, “that they are very good friends. We will use Taeilie hyung to get to Donghyuck-”</p><p>“Wait,” Soobin drops her hands. “What was that about them sleeping in the same bed?”</p><p>Minjae <i>tsks</i> at her. “Stop interrupting the scene, noona! Minchan went to wake them up this morning because they were so late coming down and eomma was annoyed and they were both sleeping on Donghyuck hyung’s mattress on the floor. Now-”</p><p>“What were they doing?” Soobin insists.</p><p>“...Sleeping?” Minchan answers, like he’s talking to someone very, very stupid.</p><p>“No, I mean, were they - like you know when you were small and you used to sleep in my bed when there was thunder at night? And you used to snuggle up close to me? Were they like that?”</p><p>“Hmm,” Minchan thinks. “No.”</p><p>“I see,” Soobin says slowly. “Listen - listen, if you see them doing any more, uh, close friend stuff, will you let me know?”</p><p>“Why?” Minjae asks suspiciously. “Evil villain, what terrible plans do you have?”</p><p>Soobin resists the urge to throw Minjae out of the window. “I do not have evil plans. I just - I think their friendship is nice and cute and I really like Taeil oppa so I want them to get along, right?”</p><p>“I really like Taeilie hyung too,” Minchan pipes up. “I don’t want him to go home. I hope he comes back to Jeju with Donghyuck hyung every time there’s a holiday.”</p><p>“I have a feeling Donghyuck oppa may want the same thing,” Soobin says under her breath. “Okay, continue with your scene.”</p><p>Sirs Minchan and Minjae try their best to make it work, but they both agree later when it’s time for bed that the great villain Lee Soobin definitely was not paying enough attention and was too distracted to play her role satisfactorily so overall, their whole skit was a failure. They resolve to instead recruit Taeil hyung to play the part in future, which they are sure will yield much better results.</p><p>*</p><p>“She is being damn weird,” Donghyuck hisses at Taeil, watching Soobin deliberately trail behind them out of the corner of his eye. Taeil looks back at her, slightly preoccupied by the twins fervently begging him to be able to visit the Baskin Robbins of the mall their mother had dropped them all off at so that she can go do her shopping without them underfoot. </p><p>“Weird how?”</p><p>“She keeps staring at us and she won’t leave us alone. Haven’t you noticed?”</p><p>“Um, well, not really,” Taeil tells him with a smirk. “She usually stares at me a lot anyway.”</p><p>Donghyuck gave him an unimpressed look. “Are you that happy a high schooler has a crush on you?”</p><p>“It’s always nice to be appreciated,” Taeil answers airily, and then drops the act at Donghyuck’s frown, laughing.</p><p>“I’m <i>joking</i>, come on. No, I really haven’t noticed her being weird. Maybe she just feels left out.”</p><p>Donghyuck hums, making a face. “Yeah. Maybe. The twins are too young for her and now you and I - I guess I haven’t really spent much time with her properly since I got back.”</p><p>“You’re close, aren’t you? Go talk to her. I’ll look after the kids.”</p><p>Donghyuck watches Taeil speedwalk ahead to catch up to the boys, and thinks about waking up with Taeil once again that morning. He’d been the first one to wake, one of Taeil’s knees unfortunately digging into his side, and spent an embarrassingly long time just watching Taeil sleep and thinking. </p><p>It would be nice to meet someone like Taeil. It would be nice to become friends first and fall in love slowly, taking their time with no pressure. It would be nice to wake up like this together, innocently, and be able to spend time with his family after. It would be really nice. </p><p>“Hey,” he says, falling into step with Soobin. </p><p>“Hey, yourself,” she replies, raising an eyebrow at him. “What’s up?”</p><p>“Nothing, just-” Donghyuck shrugs. “We haven’t really spent time together yet, have we?”</p><p>“You’ve been hanging out a lot with Taeil oppa,” Soobin says lightly. “I don’t know how you’re going to get the twins to let him leave here, by the way. Might have been a mistake to bring him.”</p><p>Donghyuck laughs. “He can take them home with him. Give us all some peace.”</p><p>“Taeil oppa’s so nice he might actually do that if they start throwing tantrums,” Soobin smiles. “You never said how you met. Was it vocal club? Or somewhere else?”</p><p>“Uh - yeah, vocal club,” Donghyuck hurriedly agrees, trying to remember if he’d said anything about this before. “He’s one of the Music seniors I met there.”</p><p>“He must have helped you a lot with the decision to change majors,” Soobin nods. “How come you never mentioned him to me before, though? You’ve told me about all your other friends.”</p><p>“I guess - I just didn’t think of it,” Donghyuck answers lamely. Does it seem that weird to Soobin he would bring home someone that he didn’t seem to be actually all that close to before? “And, I mean. I wouldn’t have brought him here in the first place if not for his sister’s situation. Remember I told you all at dinner the first night?”</p><p>“Oh, right, his sister. What’s her name?”</p><p>Donghyuck blinks rapidly. “Tae… yeon. Her name is Taeyeon.”</p><p>“I hope she’s okay. I would be so worried if my sister suddenly delivered her baby too early. I would be calling my parents every day or texting them nonstop about her,” Soobin shakes her head. “But I guess he talks to them at night in your room or something, huh?”</p><p>Donghyuck swallows and nods. “Yeah. That’s right.”</p><p>“Also it’s so cute how you guys share clothes,” Soobin continues blithely, gesturing between him and Taeil. “I’ve always liked that shirt on you but, sorry oppa, he makes it look so much better. Maybe because his shoulders are broader.”</p><p>Donghyuck can hardly breathe. “Shirt?”</p><p>“I gave it to you for your birthday last year, dumbass,” Soobin stops and turns to him. “When were you going to tell me?”</p><p>“I - Binnie, no-” Donghyuck splutters, grabbing her arm. “It’s not-”</p><p>“All that stuff about him being too old for me as if it was me you were worried about! And you never <i>did</i> answer if he had a girlfriend. Guess the answer is no, huh? Because he has a boyf-”</p><p>Donghyuck covers her mouth with his hand, right there in the middle of the mall. Soobin yanks it down, giving him a Look. </p><p>“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me. Did you think I would be mad, or something? I <i>am</i> mad, now, because you couldn’t trust me enough to tell me something this important.”</p><p>“Binnie,” Donghyuck rakes both hands through his hair. “We’re not dating. It’s not like that.”</p><p>“Sure,” Soobin looks at him unsympathetically. “Next time make sure you learn to lie better before trying to fool someone who’s known you all her life. <i>Taeyeon</i> my foot.”</p><p>She turns to walk off to join Taeil and the boys, but pauses. “Also, if you’re going to be sleeping together in the same bed, think about locking your door at night, huh?”</p><p>Donghyuck, shellshocked, watches her hurry up to Taeil and hook her arm through his. He honest to god starts to feel faint. If Soobin figured it out this quickly - and then he shakes his head irritably. They’re not even really dating, for fuck’s sake - </p><p>“Donghyuck, you coming? We’re getting ice cream,” Taeil calls, waiting for him several metres ahead with a smile while the twins practically vibrate with excitement.</p><p>Sugar, Donghyuck thinks desperately as he walks forward to join them. He’s going to drown himself in sugar.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You need to talk to her,” Taeil says softly, eyes glued to the TV screen as he helps Minchan win at FIFA against Donghyuck. Donghyuck has long since given up trying to predict just what human things Taeil is good at or not - never been in the sea nor knows how to swim, never been on a plane nor understands how vehicles in general work, but is familiar with the inner workings of the music industry and has, apparently, a natural talent for PS4 games. And that’s only all he’s happened to find out thus far. </p><p>Donghyuck eyes the twins seated on the floor agog at the TV screen in front of the two of them on the sofa, far enough not to hear them talk if they keep their voices down. “I don’t even know what to say. The alternative to letting her think we’re together and that I lied about you and why you’re here is to explain to her just what you really are and the whole magic thing, which she’s never in a million years going to believe. She’ll just get more angry at me thinking I’m making up some more crazy excuses.”</p><p>“Sounds to me she isn’t upset about you and I possibly being together,” Taeil glances at him, then back at the screen where he’s kicking Donghyuck’s collective footballing butt. “But that you didn’t tell her first.”</p><p>“I have no idea what she thinks about that,” Donghyuck says, feeling his throat get tight just talking about it. “She’s always been cool but this is a hell of a way to find out your older brother isn’t straight, right? She thinks I literally shamelessly brought my boyfriend home on vacation with me while trying to pass him off as just a close senior from school when I’ve never even said anything to her about being gay. Ever. Also I think she’s mad about the shirt you’re wearing.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>Donghyuck’s team predictably loses to a roar of triumph from Minchan who had worn one of his many, many Son Heungmin jerseys for the occasion. In the ensuing flurry of activity from the twins doing an impassioned victory dance and taking over for the next game, Taeil and Donghyuck settle back further into the sofa. Donghyuck just feels tired, his usual competitive spirit that would usually be awakened by being beaten at anything clearly out of commission for the day. Copious amounts of ice cream earlier had not helped.</p><p>“She gave it to me last year for my birthday,” Donghyuck says with a wry quirk of his mouth. “I forgot.”</p><p>Taeil looks down at himself. “It’s a nice shirt. She’s got good taste.”</p><p>Donghyuck sighs, letting himself sink further into the sofa and his thigh press into Taeil’s. Taeil notices and squirms, trying to move to give Donghyuck space, but Donghyuck puts out a hand to stop him. Fuck it.</p><p>“Just - stay there. Please.”</p><p>Taeil looks at him a second before lifting his arm between them to rest along the back of the sofa, allowing Donghyuck to lean into him a little more. Not a full-on hug or cuddle, but close enough that Donghyuck is warm and supported by Taeil’s body. </p><p>“Talk to her later when she comes back. I think that’s all she wants you to do, to talk to her.”</p><p>Donghyuck stays quiet for a few long moments, just enjoying the contact and listening to his mother singing to herself in the kitchen. It’d hurt when Soobin had said bye to everyone but him when she’d decided to stay back at the mall to meet her friends, and having his sister be mad at him - actually mad at him, not like one of their frequent pretend-fights where all they do is bicker and annoy each other for fun - felt horrible. He hadn’t even been able to properly concentrate on doing his chores of cleaning up the yard when he’d gotten back which had unfortunately earned him a yelling from his mother. Even that hadn’t felt as bad.</p><p>“I’ll try to talk to her,” Donghyuck resolves with a small nod, Taeil briefly squeezing him around the shoulders in approval. “I don’t even know if we need to worry about those two,” he gestures towards the boys on the floor. “She obviously got some of her information from them.”</p><p>“They don’t seem to be acting any different around you. Or weirdly.”</p><p>“They’re already so weird that I don’t know what ‘normal’ would look like on them,” Donghyuck scoffs. “I guess it’s a-”</p><p>Sudden shouting from the front yard makes them all look up, and when they realise it’s their mother doing the shouting the twins get to their feet in a flash and run towards the front door, FIFA forgotten. Donghyuck and Taeil sit stunned for a beat longer before following the twins outside, and when they get there Donghyuck has to blink a few times to make sure he’s really seeing what he’s seeing. </p><p>There is a tall, broad man in a dark, expensive-looking suit in their front yard, just by the gate. He’s got dyed light hair tied perfectly back in a ponytail and equally expensive-looking sunglasses and shoes on, the whole ensemble topped off with a gleaming gold watch that possibly cost more than Donghyuck’s entire house - the entire effect being one of someone glaringly dripping in money and not being afraid to play it up. </p><p>And Donghyuck’s mother is furiously beating him with one of her slippers. </p><p>“I told you <i>leeches!</i> We’re not selling! We will never sell this house or this land. You tell your boss that we are not interested and if I ever see you or any of your leech friends anywhere near my property again it will not just be my slipper next time-”</p><p>“I’m not trying to buy your - ow! - house!” the man protests, looking more bewildered than anything. He towers over her - Donghyuck’s mother, for all her larger-than-life personality, is actually <i>tiny</i>, and he could easily defend himself if he wanted to but the fact that this bite-sized woman is attacking him so determinedly with her slipper seems to have stumped him completely. “Lady - please stop-”</p><p>“Oh my god, it’s Johnny,” Taeil whispers, horrified. “Your mother is beating up Johnny.”</p><p>“<i>That’s</i> Johnny?” Donghyuck turns to him incredulously. “That - that man there, that’s your friend Johnny?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Taeil says, his face beginning to do something complicated stuck between a laugh and a stunned stare. “She’s really hitting him, oh my god. What are we going to do?”</p><p>Donghyuck thinks fast. “Look, I’m going to try to drag my mother away and - I don’t know, you get his attention, okay? Make him leave and go around the house to the other side or something. I’m going to bring her through the kitchen door so you go through the doorway here.”</p><p>Donghyuck darts out into the yard to get his mother, almost getting hit with the almighty slipper in the process as she pulls her hand back for another smack. He forcefully herds her away, still yelling, as he calls out sternly to the twins who have decided to join the fray by also yelling at Johnny to leave. They run over, looking like they’re having the time of their lives. They probably are - FIFA doesn’t come close to defending your property from (presumed) dirty real estate agents. </p><p>Donghyuck hears Taeil hissing at Johnny to get his attention just as he rounds the corner of the kitchen and manages to get the whole gang inside; mother ranting and twins practically bouncing off the walls in excitement. </p><p>“Eomma, what on earth?”</p><p>“They started coming round right before you came home. Always hanging around the property, asking me where my husband is, if I’m interested to sell. Trying to threaten me saying if I don’t sell early to them I’ll end up penniless once the ‘real developments’ in this area start. As if I don’t know that’s a lie!”</p><p>Donghyuck pours her a glass of water, and then thinks twice and gets out the bokbunja from the fridge. </p><p>“Forget that, pour me a shot of soju,” his mother tells him, sitting down heavily at the dining table and fanning herself. Minjae has picked up the legendary slipper and is staring at it in awe with Minchan.</p><p>“Eomma, is it safe? Have they ever tried to hurt you?” Donghyuck takes out two shot glasses and a bottle of soju and pours them both a glass, searching her face in worry. “I mean it. Please don’t try to keep things from me.”</p><p>“No, of course they haven’t. Hah, they can try! It’s the fault of that stupid family up the road who gave in to pressure and sold their land. Now they think if they can get two or three more of us to sell as well they can set up holiday homes or something here for tourists. Near the sea and everything.”</p><p>Donghyuck’s mother downs the shot and Donghyuck turns away politely to drink his, screwing up his face at the burn only to look back and see her staring at him. </p><p>“Who said you could drink too?”</p><p>“Eomma,” he admonishes. “I’m twenty-one.”</p><p>She gives him a ‘so what?’ look, and then gestures for him to pour her a second shot. “When I saw that man actually on the lawn this time I just lost it. How dare he actually come in the gate! He’s lucky I didn’t call the police.”</p><p>“No, you just beat him up with your slipper,” Donghyuck cracks a grin as Minjae triumphantly holds the slipper in question aloft like a trophy of war. “We should frame it.”</p><p>“Give me that,” their mother says, snatching it back from Minjae to put it back on. “Oh, I really lost my temper, didn’t I?”</p><p>“Such a bad example to the kids,” Donghyuck sighs, sliding her refilled glass over. “Shocked my delicate senses.”</p><p>“Delicate senses,” his mother snorts. “Who do you think you take after in this family, my dear boy?”</p><p>Donghyuck grins at his mother, feeling very fond, and just at that moment Taeil appears in the kitchen. </p><p>“I made sure he drove off,” Taeil announces, glancing at Donghyuck, and Donghyuck notices the colour in his cheeks and slightly quickened breathing. <i>Oops</i>.</p><p>“Thank you,” Donghyuck’s mother says with a sigh. “Soju?”</p><p>“Why can he drink and I can’t?” Donghyuck protests as Taeil takes a seat next to him. </p><p>“He’s older than you,” Donghyuck’s mother answers matter of factly. “And I like him more.”</p><p>Taeil accepts the bottle with a bright laugh so happy Donghyuck’s high spirits subside a little within him. Did Johnny give him good news?</p><p>“Can I try some?” Minjae asks innocently, and looks rather affronted at the three firm ‘No!’s he receives. </p><p>*</p><p>
  <i>Taeil quickly ushers Johnny out of the front yard and prods him the other way around the house towards the back so they can’t be seen from the kitchen windows. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>“What the actual fuck, Taeil-”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Taeil stops them behind a brick garden wall, and despite the tightening low in his belly that he’s becoming rather used to now from whenever he has to be apart from Donghyuck, he takes one look at the dusty slipper marks all over Johnny’s suit jacket and doubles over laughing.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Who the hell was that crazy lady?”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“She’s the mother of the boy who summoned me,” Taeil wipes his eyes, not completely over his laughing fit. “Oh, god, your face. Who asked you to show up here looking like some sleazy mafia boss?”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Sleazy-” Johnny gasps, scandalised. “Do you have any idea how much this suit costs?”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“You’re certainly living up to your Avarice image,” Taeil wheezes, getting one last laugh out. “What if you had gotten Lust, like you wanted? Would you be dressed in tight leather pants and a flowing open shirt to show off your manly toned chest like in the human romance novels-”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Johnny glares, and then plasters a fake smile on his face. “‘Oh, hi, Johnny, how nice it is to see you! I am so grateful that you came all the way here to find me!’”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Sorry,” Taeil grins. “I’m sorry. It definitely is good to see you. How did you find me, anyway?”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“With much difficulty,” Johnny deadpans. “Involving a few illegal things I’m sure to get in trouble for if anybody realises. Look, I can dissolve the binding but it will take another few days. There’s a big hoo-ha in headquarters over escaped hellhounds or something, I don’t know. Once things die down there I’ll be able to get your paperwork approved and I’ll be back to get you. Okay?”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Thank you,” Taeil sighs. “I mean, you can take your time. No real rush, you know?”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“No real rush? You’re stuck here without your magic bound to some kid who couldn’t even get a simple spell right and you’re telling me to take my time?”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Taeil makes a face. “He only made one small mistake, come on. It’s pretty impressive for a human that young. And they’re feeding me very well.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Johnny gives him a strange look. “Right. I’ve got to get back, but - are you okay? You’ve been going steadily red.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Oh, no, it’s just a hot day out, I guess,” Taeil steps away nonchalantly. Johnny narrows his eyes and follows him, only for Taeil to take another step back. Johnny stares at him, and then inhales pointedly. Taeil gives him an exasperated look. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Taeil, is there something you want to tell me? I mean, we’ve been close for a very long time, and you know you’re a really good friend to me, so if you want to talk about these feelings you have for me even though I’m sorry I can’t return them-”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“This is not for you!” Taeil gestures impatiently at himself, indicating his arousal that Johnny has unfortunately twigged. “It’s part of the spell, alright? I have to get back soon before it gets worse.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Johnny looks at him in disbelief. “This entire family is crazy. My poor baby, I’ll be back to free you soon.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Go,” Taeil tells him wearily. “I need to get back too.” </i>
</p><p>
  <i>Johnny gives him a little sympathetic wave and a wink, and the next moment he’s gone.</i>
</p><p>*</p><p>“Why is she being so difficult?” Donghyuck punches his pillow unnecessarily aggressively to plump it up. “She knew exactly what I was doing trying to talk to her the whole evening and she avoided me on purpose.”</p><p>“Well, you live in the same house,” Taeil tells him unhelpfully, watching him with an amused smile from his bed. “She can’t outrun you forever.”</p><p>“She wants me to grovel, I know it,” Donghyuck flips over onto his back with a huff. “And she knows I <i>will</i>, eventually. Demon sister.”</p><p>“Hey,” Taeil says mildly. “We’re not all bad.”</p><p>“Sorry,” Donghyuck offers apologetically. “Forgot who I was talking to.” </p><p>Donghyuck reaches out with his mind and turns off the ceiling light, placing a small glow of his own near the door so that the room isn’t too pitch-dark. After another moment of internal embarrassment, he locks the door, too, and he can hear Taeil give a little exhale in dry acknowledgement of just why Donghyuck needs to lock it. </p><p>“Taeil, why don’t you - look, you’re going to end up with me down here anyway so I might as well go up there, right? At least one night while I’m home I should be able to sleep in my own bed,” Donghyuck tries to joke and keep it as un-awkward as possible. It just makes <i>sense</i> - there’s no reason for them to sleep on the floor and for Taeil to make the trip down in the middle of the night as is inevitable at this point when they could both begin and end the night in one, much more comfortable and bigger bed. It’s practical. It’s pragmatic. </p><p>Taeil stills. “You sure?”</p><p>“Am I sure I would rather sleep in my own bed than on a mattress on the floor? Yes, I’m sure.”</p><p>Donghyuck picks up his pillow and blanket and transfers them to the bed, Taeil shifting over quickly to make room. </p><p>“I - I’m sorry if I end up, you know,” Taeil makes vague circles with his hands. “Cuddling.”</p><p>“If you do it isn’t your fault, anyway,” Donghyuck sighs. “We both know why all this is happening. Clearly I was drunkenly fixating on an image of a boyfriend who is as physically affectionate as me while casting the spell.”</p><p>Taeil nods, though Donghyuck almost misses it in the dark. They lie together in silence, and Donghyuck quickly realises how tightly Taeil is holding himself away from Donghyuck’s body in order not to touch him. </p><p>“You don’t have to press yourself into the wall like that,” he whispers, feeling stupid. “It’s - it’s okay. I won’t mind.”</p><p>“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable,” Taeil whispers back, and Donghyuck hears <i>I’m uncomfortable</i> instead. </p><p>“What did Johnny say?” he asks in desperation. “I didn’t get the chance to ask you because I was chasing Soobin around.”</p><p>“Yeah, he’s - he says he has a solution. That in about two days or so he’ll have the spell broken and he’ll come back to get me.”</p><p>Donghyuck’s breath hitches. “Really? So soon?”</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p><i>Two days</i>. “Guess I should tell Renjun he doesn’t need to keep trying,” Donghyuck says just to have something to say, because he’s heavily disappointed in himself for <i>being</i> so unreasonably disappointed at the news that Taeil will be gone in a few days. Renjun was right. Renjun was right all along, as he always usually is. It doesn’t even make sense, but - he thought they had more time. </p><p>“What will you do once I’m gone?”</p><p>Donghyuck doesn’t know what to say. “Go see some of my old high school friends I guess,” he answers, after a while. “Maybe.”</p><p>“You can go swimming properly without me,” Taeil tells him, sounding like he’s smiling. </p><p>“Yeah,” Donghyuck agrees, staring at the soft shadows on the ceiling his fairy light is casting. “Won’t have to worry about you drowning every five minutes.”</p><p>“Maybe we can go to the beach tomorrow? One last time before I have to leave?”</p><p>“Sure,” Donghyuck forces himself to sound enthusiastic. “Sure, we can.”</p><p>“Okay,” Taeil whispers, turning onto his side to face Donghyuck, and Donghyuck can’t bring himself to look back at Taeil even if someone was paying him to, scared Taeil will read all the emotions on his face. “We should sleep, huh?”</p><p>“Yeah. Goodnight.” Donghyuck turns on his other side, away from Taeil, and screws his eyes shut in embarrassment at himself. </p><p><i>Stupid, stupid, stupid</i>.</p><p>*</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>bokbunja is korean raspberry wine.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Donghyuck looks down at his phone, rereading the last texts between Renjun and himself sent earlier this morning. And then rereads them again. </p><p>
  <i>-You were right, Jun.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>- idiot</i>
</p><p>And then a little time later:</p><p>
  <i>- did something happen? you’ll be okay, it’s just one of those infatuations you always get. you’ll be fine. take care of yourself, hyuck. you’re still an idiot, though</i>
</p><p>And even later yet:</p><p>
  <i>- i love you. soon he’ll be gone and all this will be over</i>
</p><p>The unexpected ‘i love you’, in particular, is the most soothing, but it doesn’t mean Donghyuck isn’t still going to use it for future blackmail opportunities. He even screenshotted it immediately in case Renjun deleted the message and tried to backtrack.</p><p>Donghyuck sighs, feeling like he’s going to be wallowing in this pity pool for a while yet. He clings to Renjun’s words about this being just an infatuation - of course it is, nobody can fall in love over barely three or four days - and pep-talks himself that their constant proximity plus Taeil’s unfortunately almost-perfect personality would make anyone think they’d caught feelings. </p><p>Most importantly - he’s the only one sailing this ship, and unrequited love is <i>so</i> not a good look on anybody.</p><p>And maybe - maybe it’s not even that. Maybe it’s not even truly romantic; maybe he just really likes having Taeil around because he’s fun and so nice and his family loves him and it’s rare to find a friend that ticks all these boxes so easily. He could easily just be disappointed that he’s losing a good person in his life - <i>demon</i>, his mind tries to correct him - whom he’ll never meet again. Will probably never meet again, anyway - he has no idea how to summon specific demons and doubly has no idea if Taeil really meant what he said about coaching him in his casting. It’s equally as likely Taeil never wants to see him again after what Donghyuck has put him through. </p><p>Like he’d realised before - it’s just unfortunate that he happened to have met someone he’d love to date, if circumstances were different. But circumstances aren’t different, and now he at least knows just what to look for in future. </p><p>Right. <i>Good talk!!</i> Donghyuck mentally pats himself on the shoulder and sets his mouth with determination. He’s not going to be an idiot about this. </p><p>He looks over at Taeil, slowly baking himself in the sun on a blanket with Soobin lying on Taeil’s other side while the twins screech in the water, and allows himself to smile at how cutely contented Taeil looks. He’s lying starfished, sunscreen this time not forgotten so he isn’t turning lobster-red, and the breeze keeps ruffling his soft dark hair over his forehead. </p><p>He really is adorable with his small feet and hands stretched out, and he’s not even doing anything other than just lying there. </p><p>“Taeilie hyung!” comes the shriek from the shallow surf, either one of the Terrible Two having decided they’d spent enough time not hanging on to their new favourite hyung. “Come in with us!”</p><p>Taeil cracks open an eye in interest, and Donghyuck starts getting up to go into the water with him. He’s in the process of folding up his blanket when Taeil quietly puts a hand on his chest to stop him. </p><p>“I’ll go. You stay here and talk to Soobin.”</p><p>“But you-” Donghyuck says, his eyes dropping to the region of Taeil’s crotch before he can stop himself and his cheeks flame instantly in embarrassment. God, how crude of him. </p><p>“Don’t worry about me,” Taeil gives him a half-amused, half-resigned look. “I’ll be fine, both on the swimming front and the - other stuff. Just come into the water to be with me a while when you’re done just to be safe so things aren’t - um, aren’t obvious when I have to come out again. If you get me.”</p><p>Donghyuck gets it. Boardshorts don’t hide anything. </p><p>“Thanks. Sorry. Okay,” Donghyuck babbles, watching Taeil send him another amused glance before he strips out of his tank and jogs towards the water to see what the twins want. His skin looks so soft in the bright sunlight, healthy and smooth and perfect - </p><p>Right, Soobin. </p><p>Donghyuck shuffles over to her laying on her own blanket, and she lifts up her sunglasses to fix him with a stare. </p><p>“Not following your boyfriend in?”</p><p>Donghyuck glares back briefly, gesturing for her to take out her airpods. He’s rehearsed over and over in his head what to say to Soobin, and it’s a strange mix of lies and half-truths that is nevertheless still sincere and true - he doesn’t want to lie to her, not really, but the whole truth isn’t something she’s ready for right now. Eventually, he hopes, but not now. </p><p>She lets her stare go on for a few more moments, just to make him nervous, and then sits up and removes her airpods. “What is it?”</p><p>“Firstly, I’m sorry,” Donghyuck tells her without preamble, and from her reaction he can tell a quick capitulation wasn’t what she was expecting. “You’re right. I should have trusted you and told you what was going on with me, but it wasn’t easy for me to say it.”</p><p>Soobin looks out to the water, where it looks like the twins have made Taeil pretend to be some kind of sea monster so that they can attack him.</p><p>“Did you really think I would be upset?”</p><p>“I didn’t know what you would think,” Donghyuck tells her honestly. “And I guess my reasoning was that if I didn’t tell you then I wouldn’t have to deal with it if you couldn't accept me.”</p><p>“You’re my brother,” Soobin frowns at him. “That’s not important to me. Not really. But it is important to me if you stop telling me things. It makes me feel like you don’t care about me any more.”</p><p>Donghyuck gives a small laugh internally. Taeil really hit the nail on the head. “So you don’t mind? It’s okay if I’m not dating a girl?”</p><p>“Are you completely-” Soobin stops, making a face. “I don’t know how to say this properly. Will you never date girls again?”</p><p>“Um,” Donghyuck spreads his hands open in a gesture of contemplation. “Right now it doesn’t seem likely that I will. I mean I don’t know if in future, but - right now, no.”</p><p>“You were dating girls in high school.”</p><p>“Yeah. But I realised after that I wanted to date boys instead.” Donghyuck takes a deep breath. It’s not easy verbalising all this to his sister, but the more he talks the words get easier to say. </p><p>“And so you’re dating Taeil oppa now?”</p><p>“Okay, no,” Donghyuck holds up a finger. “That’s really not - Okay, I can see why you would think that, but I’m not insane enough to try to bring my secret boyfriend home like this just for the thrill of it. He really does have a family emergency.”</p><p>Soobin rolls her eyes impatiently. “Oppa, stop it. So you sleep together and wear each other’s clothes because you’re just good friends? I thought you weren’t going to lie to me anymore.”</p><p>Donghyuck bites his lip. “I do like him. A lot, I think. But we’re not dating. Not yet?”</p><p>“So you decided to kill two birds with one stone and make sure he definitely falls in love with you while helping him out?”</p><p>“Something like that,” Donghyuck answers weakly. He doesn’t know why it’s important to him not to let her think they’re together, but - he just can’t bear the thought of it somehow; as if on top of all the half-truths and lies he’s telling her that would be the worst one.</p><p>“Is it working?”</p><p>Donghyuck exhales on a laugh. “I don’t know. What do you think?”</p><p>Soobin hums quietly to herself, watching Taeil in the water with their younger brothers. “I think you’ve got a very good chance. If you don’t do anything stupid.”</p><p>Donghyuck thinks, not for the first time, that Renjun and Soobin would get along very well.</p><p>“Well, thanks,” Donghyuck tells her, pretending to be put out. </p><p>“He wouldn’t be here with you and wearing your dumb clothes and whatever if he didn’t like you too,” Soobin points out. “Like, come on. Who even does that? You think you’re going to go back to Seoul after this and he’s just gonna be like, okay sorry just because I spent two weeks living with you in your house in freaking Jeju and meeting your whole family it doesn’t mean I like you, lalala?”</p><p>Donghyuck smiles a small smile, looking down at his feet covered lightly with sand. “We’ll see, Binnie. Hug?”</p><p>Soobin loftily deigns to allow herself to be hugged, Donghyuck squeezing her extra hard as punishment until she squawks to be let go.</p><p>“Go away. Go be with your <i>boyfriend</i> in the water,” Soobin sniffs, putting her airpods back in. “Everybody has a boyfriend but me.”</p><p>“You can have a boyfriend once you pass your high school exams and get into college,” Donghyuck scolds, only to have Soobin roll her eyes at him again before putting her sunglasses on, clearly dismissing him from her presence. </p><p>He turns away, looking towards the sea, noticing Taeil wading alone a distance away from the boys who are busy splashing each other, and hurriedly takes off his shirt. He’s feeling buoyant from the positive outcome of the talk with Soobin, and rather mindblown it had hardly taken ten minutes, but the urgency he feels to no longer be on the beach but in the water with Taeil is honestly a bit sobering. He’s hoping Soobin isn’t watching the way he runs towards the surf. </p><p>Taeil is facing away by the time Donghyuck reaches him, and he turns around with a gasp when Donghyuck puts his hands on Taeil’s shoulders. </p><p>“Hey,” Donghyuck says, but the next words die in his throat at the way Taeil is looking at him. Taeil licks his lips, his gaze dropping to Donghyuck’s mouth, and there is a sudden roaring in Donghyuck’s ears so loud he can’t even hear the rush of the waves anymore. They’re only centimetres apart, it could happen - it could happen so fast nobody else would see, and maybe he’d taste salt on Taeil’s lips and carry the feeling in his head and heart the whole day, whatever else he does - </p><p>Taeil makes eye contact again and physically steps back, putting clear distance between them. </p><p>“Sorry. Got carried away a little,” he apologises, wading away a little more. “I’m okay. I’ll be fine in a minute or two and then we can get out if you want. What did she say? Are you guys alright now?”</p><p>Donghyuck forces himself to nod. “Yeah. Yeah, we’re good.”</p><p>“I’m glad,” Taeil smiles, and it’s a smile so genuine Donghyuck sinks into the water to - he’s not sure what, but he feels less exposed with waves lapping against his chest rather than standing up straight in front of Taeil obviously waiting to be kissed like the biggest moron in Korea. “I’m really glad.”</p><p>“Thank you,” Donghyuck tells him, although it gets a bit lost with the sudden influx of twin brothers swimming into them and beginning to rattle on about some new game or other they’d just made up. </p><p>Taeil catches his eye anyway over a flailing Minchan and smiles. “You don’t have to thank me for anything. That was all you. Things are going to be okay.”</p><p>“Promise?” Donghyuck asks, only half-joking. </p><p>“I promise, Donghyuck,” Taeil tells him seriously, and Donghyuck isn’t completely sure what they’re talking about anymore.</p><p>*</p><p>Johnny shows up again for the second and final time the day after. </p><p>This time he appears exactly in Donghyuck’s room, where Donghyuck is showing Taeil his favourite music and enjoying his reactions to them in a quiet bubble that’s just theirs alone. Donghyuck sings a verse or two, and Taeil picks it up immediately - he has a beautiful singing voice, so beautiful Donghyuck wants to cry and laugh together at the sound. Of course he sounds like an angel. Of course he does, because Donghyuck is beginning to believe that Taeil was made expressly for him to fall in love with. </p><p>“I want to live inside your voice,” he whispers like a fool, and Taeil laughs at him like he deserves.</p><p>Donghyuck is staring again in awe at Taeil experimentally trying out the runs to one of Donghyuck’s favourite Chen songs, attempting to suppress just what it feels like to want to vomit out your heart in sheer worship for someone else’s talent and preciousness when Taeil breaks off abruptly in the middle of one particularly delicious note. Donghyuck follows his line of sight, and gazes uncomprehendingly at Johnny standing in the middle of his room. </p><p>He looks <i>wrong</i>. The sleek suit again, this time with a tie, and a different expensive watch against the backdrop of Donghyuck’s childhood things are so out of place Donghyuck feels disoriented. <i>You don’t belong here</i>, he thinks absently. </p><p>“You’re wearing shoes in my room,” he says instead, surprising even himself.</p><p>“Oh - sorry,” Johnny says, taken aback, looking down at his feet. “They won’t leave any dirt, I’ll make sure of that. Just didn’t want to be seen by your mother again.”</p><p>Donghyuck looks at Taeil, who hasn’t said a word or moved since Johnny appeared. </p><p>“Taeil? Time to go,” Johnny prods gently.</p><p>Taeil blinks, and then looks down at himself. “Your clothes-” He turns rather helplessly to Donghyuck. “I’ll try to get them back to you-”</p><p>“Don’t worry about it,” Donghyuck finds himself saying on autopilot, feeling strangely nothing. “Keep them if you want, actually.”</p><p>Taeil nods, as if the thought of a demon keeping a set of human clothes to wear when he feels like it isn’t totally ridiculous. </p><p>“You should have worked something out with me,” Taeil then tells Johnny, just short of a reprimand. “How am I going to suddenly disappear like this? How is he going to explain it to his family?”</p><p>“And how was I supposed to do that? I can’t contact you, you have no magic right now,” Johnny retorts, looking annoyed. “Look, I can’t drag this out, okay? I’m sorry, but we have to go. He’ll figure something out, he’s a smart kid. I hope.”</p><p>“It might be better this way,” Donghyuck says, barely focusing on the sting of Johnny’s remark about him. “If you tell them you need to leave then my mother will want to feed you first and drive you to the airport and everything, she’s not just going to let you get a taxi and go by yourself. He’s right, I’ll think of something to tell them. Good thing my mother’s out right now.”</p><p>Taeil searches his face, looking unhappy. “I won’t get to say goodbye.”</p><p>“It’s okay,” Donghyuck tells him, <i>you can always come back</i> on the tip of his tongue. “Don't worry. You should go, I’ve taken up too much of your time already.”</p><p>“No, that’s-” Taeil stops. Johnny exhales, folding his arms, clearly impatient to be gone.</p><p>Taeil stands up from the bed, hands fidgeting. “Sorry, Donghyuck.”</p><p>Donghyuck doesn’t really know what he’s apologising for. “Maybe I’ll see you again, huh? Through another casting, not drunk then, hopefully,” Donghyuck offers, giving him a quick smile. “Definitely not drunk.”</p><p>Taeil looks at him for a long moment and the realisation that this is really happening, that Taeil’s really going to disappear in the next few seconds belatedly slams into Donghyuck. Maybe Taeil sees it written large in his face, because in the next moment he’s leaning down with one soft hand cupping Donghyuck’s cheek and the other bracing himself on Donghyuck’s shoulder. </p><p>The kiss is over too fast. </p><p>“You’ve been kissed by a boy now,” Taeil whispers. “Bye, Donghyuck.”</p><p>The moment Taeil straightens up both he and Johnny are gone. </p><p>Donghyuck stares at his empty room, raising fingers to his lips to feel the rapidly-fading ghost of Taeil’s mouth on his and wonders if he’d hallucinated it. It had just happened, and yet the memory of it is already becoming hazy and difficult to pin down no matter how much he tries to concentrate on it. Maybe it <i>hadn’t</i> happened - he’d just wanted it to so badly that he’d imagined it. </p><p>The binding is over, like he’d wanted. The miscast spell has been dissolved. </p><p>Donghyuck picks up his phone and looks at it, then finally dials a number. </p><p>Renjun picks up on only the third ring, and Donghyuck wonders if he’s hiding somewhere from the ‘multitudes of eligible women’ his family is trying to set him up with, as he put it. That makes Donghyuck crack a grin, at least. </p><p>“What’s up?” Renjun asks when the videocall engages, and he takes one look at Donghyuck’s face before heaving a solidly long-suffering sigh. </p><p>“Oh, you idiot. Okay, tell me about it.”</p><p>**</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You’d think it’d be hard to keep up a lousy mood this consistent, but I’ve got to hand it to you. You are currently winning that game and crushing the opposition,” Renjun remarks in between noisy chomps of his chips. </p><p>“You are welcome to leave at any time,” Donghyuck tells him sourly, looking at Renjun sitting at the other end of the sofa over the top of his spanking new Advanced Music Theory textbook. “You don’t have to stay here with me and my <i>lousy mood</i>.”</p><p>“Finally somebody said it. If you ask me, looks like he’s got boy trouble,” Yangyang breaks in loudly from the tiny dining table where he’s shovelling down cereal. “That or constipation.”</p><p>Renjun delicately raises an eyebrow at Donghyuck.</p><p>Donghyuck puts down his textbook in exasperation and gives them both a dirty look. “I don’t have constipation.”</p><p>“Boy trouble then, I was right. Come on, whoever you’re sulking about can’t have got you <i>this</i> whipped. The best way to get over someone is to get under someone else. Or on top of, I don’t know what you like in bed.”</p><p>Renjun doesn’t even bother hiding his delighted grin at Yangyang’s life philosophies, amusedly putting another chip into his mouth as Donghyuck glowers.</p><p>“What about that little cutie you hooked up with before we all split up for the holidays? Call him up, invite him over. As the late great Marvin Gaye said, sexual heal-”</p><p>The look of deepened misery on Donghyuck’s face cuts Yangyang’s haranguing short.</p><p>“Oh shit, little cutie hookup <i>is</i> the boy trouble,” Yangyang breathes. “You caught feelings?”</p><p>Donghyuck makes a wild beastly sound of despair into the couch cushions. Despite Yangyang not having a shred of correct information on the entire situation he’s somehow still managed to hit the nail on the head and Donghyuck really kind of <i>extremely</i> hates that. </p><p>“Wait, ‘little cutie hookup’... ?” Renjun asks, looking between Yangyang and Donghyuck. “Does he mean-?”</p><p>“The dude who spent the night after the last day of the previous sem. Me and Dejun saw him the next morning before we left to go home. Same day Hyuckie was supposed to leave. That’s him, right?”</p><p>“Right,” Renjun says, eyeing Donghyuck, as Yangyang gets up to rinse off his cereal bowl in the kitchen sink. “What was he like? ”</p><p>“Didn’t really get to talk to him much but he seemed nice. Also, great ass.”</p><p>Donghyuck releases another animalistic growl.</p><p>“Makes sense, since Donghyuck fell in love after four days,” Renjun tells Yangyang.</p><p>“<i>Four days?</i>” Yangyang stops short, face incredulous. “Was the fucking that good?”</p><p>“Go away, Yangyang!” Donghyuck yells muffled into the cushion. “Please!”</p><p>Donghyuck surfaces to find a Yangyang-less kitchen and a Renjun sniggering at him. </p><p>“Good to know you’re having fun,” Donghyuck scowls. “Good to know my pain is a source of entertainment-”</p><p>“We’ve been over this, idiot,” Renjun cuts in. Donghyuck wonders if by this point ‘idiot’ has actually become one of Renjun’s terms of endearment. “You can’t have fallen for him after just four days. You were in a vulnerable space, and then you had this really nice guy around you all the time-”</p><p>“-who’s just my type-”</p><p>Renjun pauses to give him an unimpressed look. “Donghyuck, you have ten million types. Whatever your current type is is the boy you’re crushing on at the moment.”</p><p>Donghyuck twists his mouth, annoyed at the truth of Renjun’s statement but also unable to really refute it without prior evidence. “Look, I know it sounds stupid. But if that’s the case then why do I feel so bad? Why can’t I stop thinking about him?”</p><p>“Because you have a really soft heart and it’s not easy for you to let go,” Renjun tells him, suddenly gentle. “But it’s been more than a month. You have to stop fixating.”</p><p>Donghyuck doesn’t know which is worse, Renjun scolding him or Renjun being nice to him. “And if it really meant anything to him he would have come back, right?”</p><p>“Right,” Renjun nods. “It would have been easy for him to find you.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Donghyuck nods, stomach sinking. “Yeah. I know.”</p><p>“School starts again in two weeks,” Renjun nudges him hard with his socked feet. “You won’t have time to think about any of this. You’re starting all over again in a new faculty. <i>And</i>...”</p><p>“What?” Donghyuck asks apprehensively. “And what?”</p><p>“Maybe I’ve got someone who would like to meet you,” Renjun’s eyes twinkle. “Or at least, Jeno does. New guy who just joined his dance club. Since you have apparently just discovered you like small and cute guys I figure this kid should be perfect, since you also really like dancers. Apparently he’s Japanese.”</p><p>“Did all the matchmaking at home rub off on you or what?” Donghyuck scoffs. “I don’t even know this guy.”</p><p>“Not yet,” Renjun wags a finger at him. “But you <i>could</i> know him. Actually go on a real date or two, see what happens? He’s really nice, I promise. Jeno promises, anyway. And if <i>Jeno</i> says someone is nice, I mean, you know?”</p><p>“You were just saying I’m going to be super busy once classes start,” Donghyuck protests.</p><p>“Stop making excuses. You can be busy and still meet someone for coffee or lunch.”</p><p>“I’m not making excuses!” Donghyuck wants to bury his face in the cushions again. </p><p>“Yes, you are, because you’re scared and that’s okay,” Renjun the professor declares sagely. “But there’s no pressure. At all. At worst, you get to know a new friend. At best, it could actually be something. You literally can’t lose here.”</p><p>“Stop making sense,” Donghyuck complains. “I don’t like it.”</p><p>“So can I tell Jeno it’s a yes?” Renjun holds up his phone, shaking it enticingly. </p><p>“Sure, fine,” Donghyuck sighs, leaning back into the sofa. “He better be as cute as Jeno says.”</p><p>*</p><p>“Auntie! Happy Chuseok!” </p><p>Yangyang blazes past Dejun to fling himself bodily into Donghyuck’s mother’s arms, leaving Donghyuck to roll his eyes behind them as he lugs all the bags of food she’s brought up from Jeju for them into the dorm. Dejun gives his mother a more sane welcome hug, enduring with grace the next minute or so where she does her usual cooing over his pretty eyes and exclaims over how much his body has changed since he’s started working out. Yangyang waits impatiently until she’s done and then latches onto her again as she goes to Donghyuck to supervise the unpacking and reheating of the food. </p><p>“You’re so tall now!” his mother tells Yangyang, who positively unfurls like a beautiful blooming flower at the praise. </p><p>“He is literally the same size he was the last time you saw him,” Donghyuck shakes his head in disbelief, unpacking a tub of cooked rice. “Eomma, I’ve told you you don’t have to give us rice. We have a rice cooker. We’re not completely useless.”</p><p>“I’m not convinced of that,” his mother says smoothly. “Anyway, rice is rice. You can’t have too much of it.”</p><p>“Don’t argue with her, Hyuckie,” Yangyang hugs her arm to his chest. “Auntie is always right. She’s the best.”</p><p>“If she couldn’t cook you wouldn’t be saying that,” Donghyuck shoots back, taking out a pack of his mother’s prized soy sauce-marinated crabs. “Stop trying to suck up to my mother, it’s gross.”</p><p>“She’s my mother too,” Yangyang refuses to budge. “Which makes us brothers.”</p><p>“Honestly, you could be,” Donghyuck’s mother laughs, enjoying herself way too much. </p><p>“I’m the handsome one, then,” Yangyang declares. </p><p>“It’s nice to be delusional, isn’t it?” Donghyuck tells him sweetly, unpacking more side dishes before he gets to the big tupperwares of galbijjim and kimchi jjigae with a deep moan of delight. “Eomma, I love you so much.”</p><p>“Are you only saying that because I can cook?” Donghyuck’s mother retorts swiftly, pinching Donghyuck in the side. “Dejun my darling, set the table for us, please? Yangyang, these need to be microwaved-”</p><p>“I’m here!” Renjun bursts into the dorm, gasping and panting like he’d run all the way from wherever he’d been - which is likely. “Have we started eating yet?”</p><p>It’s only after dinner that Donghyuck manages to get his mother all to himself, Yangyang in his death throes from an over-full stomach on the sofa and Renjun and Dejun, who had eaten in greater moderation, goodnaturedly volunteering to do the dishes. He ushers her into his room which he’d cleaned fastidiously in anticipation of her arrival, and when she doesn’t immediately find some typical college-boy dirty bedroom nastiness to remark upon Donghyuck considers that a win. </p><p>He sits down heavily, patting his own stomach in contentment and pointedly not thinking of the way Taeil used to do the same after one of Donghyuck’s mother’s meals.</p><p>“What time did appa get home today?” he asks, making space for her on his bed so that he can snuggle up and lay his head on her shoulder. He knows she has to leave again early tomorrow, feeling sorry that she has to make these trips on her own because he’s already got too much work piling up to do to leave school just now, and wants to make the most of his time with her before he doesn’t see her again till the new year. </p><p>“Right before I left for the airport, he really cut it close. I was wondering if I’d have to leave the twins alone with Soobinnie and whether the house would still be standing when I came back.”</p><p>“I wish he could have come up too,” Donghyuck mumbles, knowing it’s futile. “But I’ll call him tomorrow.”</p><p>“Just work hard. That will make him happy.”</p><p>Donghyuck’s mother strokes his hair, noting the unruly spread of textbooks and notebooks across Donghyuck’s table. “How’s the new major so far?”</p><p>“Good,” Donghyuck smiles, tired but sincere. “It’s tough but I love it. Thank you for letting me do this, eomma.”</p><p>“Well, you were quite persuasive. Or should I say Taeilie was?”</p><p>Donghyuck feels his stomach start its slow descent to his feet. </p><p>“How come he’s not here tonight? I was really looking forward to seeing him.”</p><p>“He was busy,” Donghyuck lies. “Had something else to attend to.”</p><p>“I see,” his mother hums, chin resting softly on his head. “Hyuckie, you know you can tell me anything, right?”</p><p>Donghyuck stops breathing. This use of the affectionate form of his name is something she used to do mostly when he was much younger, and only Yangyang really calls him that these days - Soobin. Soobin must have talked. </p><p>“I know,” Donghyuck says quietly, his heart suddenly thudding so loud he can hardly hear anything else. </p><p>“Did you two fight?”</p><p>“No, eomma, I told you - he just had to leave quickly because something was up with his sister’s baby and his parents wanted him home. I know it was sudden and weird but I didn’t want to make him wait till you came home that day. And he really is busy today-”</p><p>“And the way you sulked for the rest of the time you were home after he was gone?”</p><p>“I wasn’t sulking,” Donghyuck mutters, rapidly going over in his head at just how obvious he could have been. “I went out with my high school friends, I even stayed over at Changmin’s house, remember, and I brought the twins out all the time.”</p><p>“And you were sulking,” she tells him gently, moving until he had no choice but to sit up and face her. “You may be all grown up and a college student now, but do you think your own mother doesn’t know you?”</p><p>Donghyuck doesn’t dare make eye contact. He has no idea what exactly she thinks was - is - going on between them, and doesn’t trust himself to try to find out. Maybe if he just keeps quiet she’ll let it go?</p><p>“It’s okay, baby. You know what gave it away?”</p><p>Donghyuck doesn’t have the courage to respond, so she takes his hands in both of hers. “When Channie said how you and Taeil were like me and appa at breakfast. I didn’t think anything of it at the time but after Taeil left it made me think about how you two were together. Always by each other’s side, always paying such close attention to what each other had to say. You were always just… so aware of him. And he of you. <i>And</i> you never said he was your <i>best</i> friend, just a close senior. So why would you be upset after he left? When you said you were only bringing him home because he would have had to stay on campus otherwise?”</p><p>“Eomma,” Donghyuck whispers uselessly. </p><p>“So then,” she continues, laughing slightly. “Then I thought, maybe I’ll ask Soobinnie if she knew why you were so down. You should have seen her face! My poor girl. She panicked so badly.”</p><p>Donghyuck just stares at his hands held firmly in his mother’s grasp, trying to calm himself, easily picturing the way Soobin must have gone to pieces while being questioned by their mother. She’s never been a good liar. </p><p>“She swore up and down nothing was going on between you two, you were <i>just</i> friends, on and on when all I asked was if Taeil had left so suddenly because you two had fallen out over something. When she realised she’d accidentally told me more than I was asking she nearly started crying.”</p><p>Donghyuck closes his eyes, feeling near to tears himself. “I hope she doesn’t blame herself,” he says, tight throat making it a bit hard to speak. </p><p>“She’s okay. When she knew I wasn’t upset about it she calmed down. You hear me, Hyuckie? I’m not upset.”</p><p>Donghyuck and his mother sit together for a while in the quiet, listening to the muffled sounds of Renjun and Yangyang arguing outside over god knows what while Donghyuck tries to make his stunned brain process what he’s just heard his mother say. </p><p>“If you don’t want to tell me what happened between the two of you, that’s okay,” Donghyuck’s mother puts her arm around him again, bringing him close. “But I’m willing to listen, because I think you were very cute together.”</p><p>Donghyuck presses his face into her neck, the intense swell of emotion he feels making the blood rush to his cheeks and heat the tears seeping out from under his lashes. He has no words for how light he feels at this moment, like he’s been running for so long with weighted shoes that he’s forgotten what it’s like to walk barefoot. </p><p>His mother begins stroking his hair once again, holding him through a few false starts where he tries to speak but can’t. </p><p>“I love you, eomma,” he settles for eventually, feeling about five or six again with the way he’s wet her blouse with his tears. </p><p>“Not just because I can cook?” </p><p>“Not just because you can cook,” Donghyuck laughs, voice catching in his throat as he pulls back slightly from the hug, his mother smiling at him. </p><p>“So am I ever going to see Taeil again?”</p><p>“I don’t think so,” Donghyuck shakes his head. It’s the first time he’s let himself admit it out loud, but now is not the time to process that. </p><p>“Well, I never really liked him anyway,” his mother says briskly. </p><p>Donghyuck laughs again, watery but incredulous. “You just said you wanted to see him.”</p><p>“Not if he broke my baby’s heart. He’s dead to me. The twins, though… I feel sorry for the next boy you bring home just because he won’t be Taeil. I don’t know if they’ll ever forgive you.”</p><p>“I’ll just have to live with it,” Donghyuck looks up at her. “Is this the real reason why you came up without appa? To talk to me about this? Because he wouldn’t-”</p><p>Donghyuck can’t bring himself to finish, his heart threatening to start pounding miserably once again, but his mother’s impatient expression puts an end to that. </p><p>“Think who you’re talking about. Your appa who can’t even kill a mouse! I don’t think it’s ever occurred to him not to love any of his children completely even if it breaks his own back to do it.”</p><p>Donghyuck’s lower lip trembles but he keeps himself firmly under control this time. “Thank you.”</p><p>“What are you thanking me for? Come on, let me unpack so I can wash up. Where are you going to sleep tonight?”</p><p>“The sofa?” Donghyuck wipes off the remaining tears from his face and stands up. “It’s okay, it’s just one night.”</p><p>His mother wrinkles her nose. “I hope you’ve disinfected that sofa at least.”</p><p>This gives Donghyuck pause. The sofa had come with the dorm and it had looked more or less new when they’d got it, but they <i>do</i> eat on it, and the number of times he’d caught Yangyang sitting on it buck naked after a shower to ‘air dry’ and who knows what else he might have gotten up to on it when Donghyuck wasn’t at home - </p><p>“I’ll put a bedsheet over it,” he tells her, trying not to let his brain come up with more images of Yangyang in various states of nudity. </p><p>She pats his arm. “That’s probably for the best.”</p><p>*</p><p>Donghyuck slides into the booth opposite Shotaro, who stops munching long enough to give him a cheeks-bulging-full-of-food smile hello. </p><p>“What’s the rush?” Donghyuck eyes him as he takes another huge bite of his sandwich. </p><p>“Mm, sorry,” Shotaro says around his mouthful, Donghyuck having to work to decipher what he’s saying. “But Ten suddenly called a club meeting in like-” he glances at his phone, tapping it with a clean finger to make the lockscreen show- “fifteen minutes and I have to be there.”</p><p>“You and Jeno are obsessed with this club,” Donghyuck sighs, glad he hasn’t bought his food yet. He prefers the Music department’s cafeteria anyway - once Shotaro leaves he’ll go there and eat instead. “Now I have to have lunch alone.”</p><p>“It’s about the end-year showcase, I can’t not go,” Shotaro pleads. “I’m really sorry. I’ll make it up to you? Dinner?”</p><p>Donghyuck tangles their feet together under the table. “If you cancel on me again, Taro, I swear-”</p><p>“I won’t,” Shotaro grins his unexpectedly cheeky smile that Donghyuck happens to be very attached to. “Thanks. You should come watch a rehearsal one of these days.”</p><p>“I’m not coming by to sit and watch a bunch of sweaty people get yelled at by Ten for two hours,” Donghyuck deadpans. “Even if it means getting to see you dance.”</p><p>“But I’m a very good dancer,” Shotaro tells him innocently, taking his last bite and nonchalantly crumpling up his sandwich wrapper. “Maybe you can bring Renjun with you.”</p><p>Donghyuck rolls his eyes heavily. “Maybe you can ask him to come yourself,” he counters. “Till now I still cannot believe he got me to go out with you only for you to be interested in him instead. Talk about adding insult to injury.”</p><p>“Why is it adding insult to injury to like Renjun?” Shotaro laughs. “You’re not interested in me like that either.”</p><p>“It just is, okay?” Donghyuck sniffs. “How dare you not fall in love with me at first sight?”</p><p>“Shut up,” Shotaro tells him, smiling. “Bring Renjun.”</p><p>“I will do no such thing,” Donghyuck gathers up his bag when he sees Shotaro doing the same. “Woo him yourself.”</p><p>Shotaro sighs dramatically, inching his way out of his booth and joining Donghyuck as they walk towards the door. “Whatever happened to LGBTQ solidarity?”</p><p>“I will literally kick you down these stairs,” Donghyuck threatens as they exit into the brand new almost-autumn air. “I don’t even understand what you see in Renj-”</p><p>Donghyuck stops short on the second-last front stair of the food court block as if he’s been punched straight in the solar plexus. Shotaro continues down the steps only to stop and look back in confusion once he realises Donghyuck isn’t following, but Donghyuck isn’t looking at anything but Taeil standing nervously some distance away, looking just as unprepared as Donghyuck feels. Donghyuck isn’t sure, but he may be wheezing a little.</p><p>“Taro, you - you go ahead, okay? I’ll see you later for dinner,” Donghyuck tells him breathlessly, mouth working on autopilot while his brain takes in the sight of Taeil like a hammer hit of pure menthol to the senses. </p><p>“You okay?” Shotaro asks curiously, looking between him and Taeil whom he’s obviously staring stupidly at. </p><p>“Yeah. Just need to talk to somebody,” Donghyuck gulps, throat suddenly dry. “Bye.”</p><p>Shotaro snorts at the clear dismissal but turns around to go anyway and Donghyuck immediately wishes he’d stayed instead. What is he supposed to do now? Why the <i>fuck</i> is Taeil - what the <i>fuck</i> -</p><p>Taeil walks forward to him, and Donghyuck just realises how he’s never seen Taeil like this - awkward and uncertain. He’s also dressed - <i>oh god</i>, a little voice moans at the back of Donghyuck’s head - like Donghyuck’s never seen him before, in a light pullover pushed up to his elbows and fitted jeans. But everything else is the same, Donghyuck thinks in a daze as Taeil comes to a stop in front of him, a step below. His face, his hair soft as ever, and his eyes - </p><p>“Hi,” Taeil says, looking up into his face like he can’t get enough, and Donghyuck wants to melt right into the ground. </p><p>“Where the fuck have you been all this time?” Donghyuck blurts out, because of course that is the first thing he <i>would</i> say.</p><p>Taeil ducks his head self-consciously. “Sorting things out.”</p><p>“Sorting what things out?” Donghyuck asks helplessly.  </p><p>Taeil licks his lips, and Donghyuck sees his bottom lip is red like he’s been worrying it. “Applying for long-term leave from the higher-ups. That wasn’t easy to get approved. Talking to Johnny and getting him to understand. Trying to understand, myself. Finding you again. Um, sending your clothes to a human drycleaners.”</p><p>Taeil holds out a little paper bag that Donghyuck hadn’t even registered till now he’s been holding. </p><p>“What?” Donghyuck asks faintly, taking the bag automatically because that’s what you do when people hand things to you. “I don’t understand.”</p><p>“I didn’t want to leave,” Taeil tells him, a note of urgency appearing in his voice. “I didn’t want to. But I didn’t know if you wanted me to stay.”</p><p>Donghyuck just stares at him.</p><p>“And, I mean,” Taeil gestures between them. “You’re human. I’m not. These things don’t… happen.”</p><p>“What things don’t happen?” Donghyuck asks, hoarse.</p><p>Taeil takes a deep breath. “Donghyuck, I would like to take you out on a date.”</p><p>Time stops, for a long, long moment. </p><p><i>“What?”</i> Donghyuck screeches. </p><p>*</p><p>Taeil laughs a little when they step into Donghyuck’s room. “Here we are again.”</p><p>“Where it all started,” Donghyuck nods, unable to take his eyes off Taeil. He had stared at Taeil while Taeil had fumbled his way through an impassioned apology for taking so long to work up the courage to find him again, he had stared at Taeil all the way through lunch, and he had stared at Taeil so much while walking up to his dorm he’d nearly brained himself on the stairs; and he still wasn’t done. </p><p>“I can’t believe you’re here,” he says. “You’re really here.”</p><p>“Without a spell this time,” Taeil smiles. “Have you been doing other magic?”</p><p>Donghyuck snorts, putting down his bag and letting himself fall into his chair. “I haven’t dared. I’ve been working up to it again slowly.”</p><p>“I did mean it when I said I could teach you,” Taeil tells him, Donghyuck waving him into a seat on the bed. “I would love to.”</p><p>“How?” Donghyuck asks after a serious beat of contemplation. “How would we go about doing that? How do I contact you? How would any of this work?”</p><p>Donghyuck doesn’t want to have to do this so soon - but the fairytale sweetness of seeing Taeil again and enjoying his smile and his voice was a tenuous bubble that could burst at any time because real life doesn’t allow for a demon to waltz in and out of your life whenever he pleases. </p><p>Taeil’s expression goes solemn. “I took time off. I didn’t want to have to attend other summonings while we were getting to know each other again. If - I mean if you wanted. I’m not sure what you want. I’ll back off if you tell me to.”</p><p>What did Donghyuck want?</p><p>“I want you,” Donghyuck says simply. “But I want to be able to count on you. I want to be able to introduce you to my friends - and my family again, properly.”</p><p>Taeil perks up at this. “How are they?”</p><p>“They’re fine. My, um,” Donghyuck smiles at the memory. “My mother figured it all out. Well - not the demon part obviously, but. And she’s okay with it. They all are.”</p><p>“I knew they would be,” Taeil beams. “I’m so glad, Donghyuck. They look well.”</p><p>Donghyuck narrows his eyes the same moment Taeil widens his. “Um-”</p><p>“Have you been spying on them?”</p><p>“Not spying!” Taeil protests. “I just - I just missed them, like I missed you. Wanted to see if they were okay. I took care of their real estate agent problem, by the way.”</p><p>“How?” Donghyuck asks suspiciously. </p><p>“Just… redirected the estate company’s attention elsewhere. Your mother won’t have to deal with them anymore.”</p><p>“You’d do that for her?”</p><p>Taeil looks affronted. “Of course. Why not?”</p><p>Donghyuck can’t help but glow at the blatant affection Taeil has for his family. “And do you even want to spend this much time in a human body?”</p><p>“It’s no real burden,” Taeil shrugs. “At least this way I can do this.”</p><p>Taeil scoots closer to the edge of the bed and takes Donghyuck’s hand in his, smoothing over Donghyuck’s palm before trailing down to entwine their fingers. “It’s better without the spell.”</p><p>Donghyuck feels his skin heat, his brain full of nothing but Taeil and how good their hands look together like this. They slot together perfectly, because of course they do. “Much better,” he agrees softly, watching Taeil stroke his thumb with his own. Donghyuck never wants him to let go. </p><p>“I want to kiss you again,” Taeil tells him. “But not now. When the time is right.”</p><p>“Now is a very good time, actually-”</p><p>“Not now,” Taeil laughs. “I want to give you all the romantic fantasies come true you ever wanted. I’ll do my best.”</p><p>“There’s nothing more romantic than kissing in a university dorm room, you know?”</p><p>“I don’t think so,” Taeil raises an eyebrow. “Or at least, I have higher standards than you.”</p><p>“We’ve already kissed once,” Donghyuck grumbles, <i>yearning</i>. “Second kisses don’t have to be that special.”</p><p>Taeil just gives him a look. “Can I stay the night?”</p><p>“Whoa,” Donghyuck’s jaw drops. “You don’t even want to kiss me but you want to-”</p><p>“<i>Just</i> to sleep,” Taeil corrects him. “I’ve missed you so much. I don’t want to leave yet.”</p><p>Donghyuck exhales long. “You’re going to kill me.”</p><p>“We’ll get around to everything else,” Taeil promises, bringing Donghyuck’s hand up to his mouth in a small placatory kiss. “Let’s just go slow. I am, after all, your first boyfriend.”</p><p>Donghyuck regards him, aware that he’s got the stupidest grin on his face. “Boyfriend?”</p><p>“Boyfriend,” Taeil nods. “Now where’s my pajamas?”</p><p>*</p><p>“<i>Oh</i>, what, okay, hello again little cutie,” Yangyang skids to a stop the next morning when he sees Taeil and Donghyuck both with outrageous bedhead sleepily drinking coffee at the common table. “Um, Hyuckie? Okay, wow.”</p><p>“Little cutie?” Taeil asks over the rim of his mug. </p><p>Yangyang lets out an embarrassed - amazing, for him - laugh, pretending he hadn’t said anything.</p><p>“Yangie, meet Taeil hyung. Taeil hyung, meet my idiot roommate Yangyang,” Donghyuck makes the introductions while trying his best to keep a straight face at the look of total greedy surprise on Yangyang’s. </p><p>Yangyang changes gears smoothly, looking pleased that he’s the one who got this scoop before Dejun and slides into the last empty chair at the table. “Well, hello there. I have heard <i>a lot</i> about you since our first meeting.”</p><p>Donghyuck kicks him sharply under the table. </p><p>“Or not,” Yangyang continues, wincing. “I have not heard about you at all. Must have been thinking of someone else.”</p><p>“Who’s been talking to you about Taeil hyung?” Donghyuck frowns. “What do you mean?”</p><p>“Renjun might have mentioned a few things,” Yangyang says airily, trying to play it off. </p><p>“Bitch,” Donghyuck says under his breath, shaking his head. Renjun really is the worst at keeping gossip to himself. Fucking Aries. </p><p>“Such as?”</p><p>“Like… how the new guy he set you up with told your friend Jeno who then told Renjun after your first date that you were obviously still pining after somebody and he thought the two of you were better off as friends? And how you - sorry-,” Yangyang sent an apologetic look Taeil’s way, “-had ghosted Donghyuck after four days and how he thought you, Hyuckie, were a complete idiot for still being hung up on him. But hey, no judgement. The path of love or, uh, lust does not run smooth.”</p><p>Taeil grins at Donghyuck’s gobsmacked face, casually lacing their hands together on top of the table. All thoughts of Renjun fly out the window as Donghyuck just about wants to die from how happy something this small makes him, and the gleeful look on Yangyang’s face is just the icing on the cake.</p><p>“Taeil hyung’s going to be over here a lot from now on, okay? Is that alright with you?”</p><p>“Hey, man,” Yangyang raises both his hands in surrender. “Far be it from me to cockblock anybody. Just tell me in advance when I need to bust out my noise-cancelling headphones.” </p><p>Donghyuck rolls his eyes fondly despite how ridiculous Yangyang insists on being. “Thanks, Yang.”</p><p>Yangyang sends them double fingerguns, then gets up from his seat. “Will leave you two lovebirds alone now,” he winks. “Have a <i>very</i> nice weekend. I will be out all day, so feel free to make as much noise as you want.”</p><p>“What about Dejun?” Donghyuck asks sardonically.</p><p>“Oh, our dear friend Dejun didn’t come home last night,” Yangyang smirks. “Someone had himself a very good Friday night. As, it seems, did you.”</p><p>“Bye, Yangie,” Dongyuck waves him away, contemplating how in their interactions he’s always had to cut short his Yangyang time before his own head explodes. “See you.”</p><p>“You’ve been going out on other dates, huh?” Taeil observes innocently when Yangyang is gone.</p><p>“Well, the person I’d been interested in <i>had</i> ghosted me after four days, so…” Donghyuck raises both eyebrows in challenge.</p><p>“I am sorry about that,” Taeil tells him again, bringing the grand total of his apologies on the subject to about just slightly under a hundred. </p><p>“I know,” Donghyuck says, getting up from his chair to squirm his way onto Taeil’s lap and raising his phone. “Know how you can make it up to me? I think it’s time for that second kiss.”</p><p>“What’s the phone for?”</p><p>“Revenge,” Donghyuck tells him sweetly.</p><p>The amount of yelling Renjun does when he eventually receives the photo Donghyuck sends him of Donghyuck sitting on Taeil’s lap wrapped up in a kiss is very, very satisfying.</p><p>*</p><p>The unholy shriek Minjae lets out from the doorway when he sees Donghyuck and Taeil get out of the taxi together alerts his twin brother and sister to their arrival, and the way he runs past Donghyuck to hug Taeil first annoys Donghyuck only a <i>little</i> - immediately drowned by fierce affection at the way Taeil visibly lights up when he sees Donghyuck’s other siblings come racing down the front yard towards them. </p><p>They make their way up to the house, weighed down with bags of Christmas presents and their own stuff for the stay over winter break - some things for show, just like the taxi, because Taeil has his magic back now and they don’t need to do everything the human way anymore - and some things for real, like the genuine smile on Taeil’s face when he sees Donghyuck’s mother waiting for them in the doorway, and the way Donghyuck’s whole soul leaps for joy when the tall, thin figure of his father appears just behind her. </p><p>“Appa,” he says, heart beating tremulously in his chest after hugging his mother tightly in greeting. “Appa, this is Moon Taeil.”</p><p>“His <i>boyfriend</i>,” his mother adds, making both Donghyuck and his father blush. Taeil, already rosy-cheeked from the cold, completes the set as he bows deeply.</p><p>“It’s very good to meet you,” Taeil says formally, making Donghyuck’s shy, sweet father smile. </p><p>“And you,” Donghyuck’s father replies, ushering them into the house. “Come in, it’s cold outside. Boys!” </p><p>They play in the snow, and kiss in the kitchen early on Christmas Eve because of the fake mistletoe Soobin hung up precisely for the purpose of catching them under it. Taeil gives Minchan and Minjae their presents of football jerseys signed by Son Heungmin himself and Minchan bursts dramatically into tears, alarming Taeil at first until Donghyuck’s mother starts laughing so hard she gives herself a stitch. They both sleep in Donghyuck’s bed, and they take their time finding out just what it’s like to make each other’s blood race and bodies sing without an artificial magic device taking control. Donghyuck’s father gives him a new wallet for Christmas, like he does every year, and when Donghyuck unwraps it late at night back in his - their - room he takes out the little photos of his family and friends and Taeil he’s kept in his now-old one to transfer immediately to the new one.  </p><p>“Precious things first,” he murmurs to Taeil, and Taeil kisses his temple softly. “I kind of miss Renjun.”</p><p>“Want to bring him here?” Taeil asks immediately, spark of mischief in his eye. </p><p>“Oh my god, he’ll be so mad,” Donghyuck sits up in bed. “Can we?”</p><p>“You have me,” Taeil grins. “Of course we can. It’s a simple variation on a transportation spell,” Taeil crosses his legs and holds out his hands for Donghyuck to take. “You know it?”</p><p>“I think so,” Donghyuck eagerly mirrors his position. “You lead and I’ll follow.”</p><p>Taeil leans across the little gulf between their legs and kisses him. “I love that we can do this together.”</p><p>“Having a demon boyfriend isn’t that bad a deal,” Donghyuck nods. “Okay. Let’s piss off Renjun.”</p><p>**</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>it’s finally done! thank you so much to eveyone who’s followed this from the start despite the inconsistent updates. happy new year ♥️</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. epilogue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>this is way overdue, but a friend asked for something a little bit more spicy re: the line in the last chapter <i>They both sleep in Donghyuck’s bed, and they take their time finding out just what it’s like to make each other’s blood race and bodies sing without an artificial magic device taking control.</i> and here it finally is lol. </p><p>this is rather explicit - not blindingly so but there is explicit description of a handjob so please take note since i'm not changing the whole fic's rating just for this one epilogue. enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Donghyuck makes tiny stars light up in the path his fingers take as he runs them slowly down Taeil’s face and neck to over his chest and stomach with nervous purpose. The stars are pretty as they glow and fade, but Taeil is prettier.</p><p>Taeil stays quiet, watching his face in the dark of his bedroom. It seems right that Donghyuck should take this next step here, in his childhood bed, in his parents’ house, his first safe space where he truly discovered himself and Taeil and dared to think of all the things they could possibly be. </p><p>“I worried that- that without the spell you wouldn’t want me,” Donghyuck whispers. “That you’d realise whatever you felt for me was all only because of the magic.”</p><p>Taeil’s answer is to take his hand and push it carefully under his shirt, fingers skimming over warm, <i>warm</i> skin until he presses Donghyuck’s hand down over his heart. </p><p>“Everytime you’re near me this happens,” Taeil whispers back, the quickened beating of his heart playing against Donghyuck’s fingers seeping into Donghyuck’s brain with a clarity Donghyuck still can hardly believe. “It’s worse, now. I don’t just want you when we’re apart. I want you all the time.”</p><p>Donghyuck knows Taeil means it - the way he reacts when they kiss is enough to show he isn’t making it up - but he still can’t wrap his head around it. He knows he’s cute - but that’s not what everyone likes, is it? He worries sometimes his looks are too on the boyish side; that he looks like a child instead of a man, like Johnny. That he’s just not attractive enough for someone else to desire this way, and especially the one person that Donghyuck wants more than anything.</p><p>“It’s everything about you,” Taeil tells him. “It’s everything you are. It’s not just one thing.”</p><p>“And you want me,” Donghyuck breathes. </p><p>“I want you,” Taeil takes the hand that was on top of Donghyuck’s away, a deliberate open invitation with unspoken permission. “Just the way you want me.”</p><p>Donghyuck sits up, pulling off his shirt as he goes, and Taeil mirrors the action. Donghyuck scoots closer to touch him again once their shirts are both forgotten somewhere on the bed, and Donghyuck thinks it’s impossible that someone can have skin this soft and smooth; but Taeil had taken Donghyuck by surprise from day one so it’s not unusual that he is also perfect beyond Donghyuck’s dreams. </p><p>“I could be anything you wanted, you know,” Taeil tells him softly. “Look any way you want me to look. I don’t have to stay in this body.”</p><p>“I <i>like</i> this body,” Donghyuck asserts. “I fell for you in this body. I think this body is amazing. Wonderful. Spectacular. Bite-size and delicious.”</p><p>“Well,” Taeil grins down at the bedsheets. “There still are more possibilities beyond just changing bodies. Let your imagination go wild.”</p><p>“Like what?” Donghyuck asks, halfway leaning forward to bury his face in Taeil’s neck. </p><p>“Tentacles seem to be a kink for some humans,” Taeil says evenly, like he’s talking about the weather, and Donghyuck nearly pitches hard nose-first into Taeil’s collarbone.</p><p>“Ten.. tacles?” Donghyuck swallows. </p><p>“<i>Anything</i> you want,” Taeil replies with a meaningful look.</p><p>“Let’s start slow, maybe,” Donghyuck clears his throat, feeling like the mention of tentacles has thrown him off completely. <i>Tentacles, fucking hell</i>.</p><p>Taeil lets Donghyuck lay him down again with a grin - he knew exactly what he was doing, <i>demon</i> - and slowly undresses him all the way with slightly nervous hands. He allows Donghyuck to take his time, watching the play of emotion across Donghyuck’s face as he gently maps Taeil’s body with his fingers and sometimes his mouth, lowering tentative lips to Taeil’s bellybutton and the creamy-soft inside of a thigh, the delicate turn of his left wrist. </p><p>“I’m sorry if you’re getting bored,” Donghyuck laughs self-deprecatingly, the way he can’t tear his eyes away from how Taeil’s cock jumps slightly every time he runs fingers across Taeil’s tender lower belly making him worry Taeil’s getting impatient. He still wants to spend another eternity running his cheek and lips over Taeil’s broad back.</p><p>“Do I look bored to you?” Taeil scoffs, and Donghyuck colours; Taeil’s cock is hard and rosy-tipped against his stomach and his breathing has definitely sped up. “I don’t want you to ever stop touching me.”</p><p>Donghyuck is frankly shocked at his own self-control. He always assumed their first time doing anything sexual would be frantic and over in minutes - his own inexperience, his wild imagination and Taeil’s <i>everything</i> being right out of every wet dream he’s ever had meaning that the possibility of him lasting or drawing it out is close to nil. But here they are, and Taeil’s words echo in his brain. <i>I don’t want you to ever stop touching me</i>. He doesn’t want to ever stop touching Taeil either, the low building burn in the very core of him irresistible and so seductive. He wants this to last for hours. </p><p>“Does it feel exactly like the spell?” Donghyuck murmurs as he tastes the skin of Taeil’s neck, Taeil’s pulse jumping beneath his tongue. </p><p>“Better,” Taeil says breathlessly. “That was... Aimless. Too sudden. I didn’t let myself think about you when the spell was acting on me, even after I started realising I was developing feelings for you. It felt disrespectful. So it was just… random. Without any source, and I couldn’t enjoy it. This is so much better.”</p><p>“You’re enjoying this?”</p><p>“Baby,” Taeil says, and even though it’s an endearment, the exasperated tone that accompanies it is enough for Donghyuck to smother a grin and get back to work. </p><p>Taeil makes amazing noises, loud and soft. Donghyuck is near trembling with how turned on he is by the time he’s sucked kisses all over Taeil’s chest and neck, thinking he’ll move now to Taeil’s thighs as a particular treat to himself. It’s Christmas, after all.</p><p>“Can I do anything for you?” Taeil asks, voice now strained and more breath than anything. </p><p>“Just - tell me if I’m doing it right,” Donghyuck says as he takes a deep breath. </p><p>“Doing wha-” Taeil breaks off with a surprised moan as Donghyuck takes his cock in his hand and squeezes lightly. Covering Taeil’s thighs in kisses will have to wait till another lovely day on the horizon. </p><p>Donghyuck has never done this for anybody else, and the way Taeil presses his head back into the pillow and tenses the muscles of his stomach so sweetly makes Donghyuck feel like if it all was building up to this moment where he’s got this wonderful being in his bed loving the touch of his hands - <i>his</i> hands! - then it’s been worth the wait. </p><p>“For being so patient and letting me do whatever I wanted earlier,” Donghyuck says quietly, watching Taeil’s face. Taeil puts a warm, firm hand over Donghyuck’s as he slides up and down, Taeil’s head lolling to the side fondly. </p><p>“I wasn’t waiting for you to ‘repay’ me,” Taeil whispers, amused. “You can <i>always</i> just do whatever you want.”</p><p>“I want to do this,” Donghyuck shimmies down so he’s braced on one elbow over Taeil, just the right height for them to kiss as Taeil guides his hand as it moves. Donghyuck revels in the heat and velvety hardness of Taeil’s cock, the steady pace Taeil is helping him to set as they breathe in each other’s breath through their kisses calming him down and exciting him all at once. Instead of the passionate - pornlike, if Donghyuck is being honest with himself - scenario he’d imagined, this is an all-absorbing slow-raging fire that’s almost too intimate in its sweetness; Taeil gasping into his mouth, telling him how good it feels and how much he wants to make Donghyuck feel the same way. Taeil praises Donghyuck so much Donghyuck squirms under the attention as if their positions were reversed, red-cheeked and panting with his hands between his beautiful demon’s legs and feeling like every gasp and moan Taeil lets out are from his own throat. </p><p>“You’re amazing,” Taeil sighs , arching his back and bucking up into the joined circle of their hands. “So amazing, Hyuckie.”</p><p>When Taeil comes, over their hands and his stomach with a tremble and muscles tensing and releasing until his breath comes easy once again and he can open his eyes, Donghyuck doesn’t know how to look away from the raw affection in Taeil’s face. Donghyuck can’t have asked for anything better, or more - he will never forget the magical bliss of this very moment. He’s been handed something absolutely perfect.</p><p>“Thank you for choosing me,” Taeil mumbles, trying not to move so as not to get any come on the sheets. </p><p>“What?”</p><p>“I don’t know. I just feel lucky. Don’t you think? How we met was almost a fluke.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Donghyuck whispers, rich emotions too big for his body whirling in his chest as he looks at his boyfriend. “Or maybe I’m a much better spellcaster than we realise.”</p><p>Taeil snorts, sitting up and making the box of tissues on Donghyuck’s desk float over to them so he can get clean. “Come here.”</p><p>Taeil, once wiped down, presses a gentle kiss to Donghyuck’s temple; so gentle it makes Donghyuck feel almost shy at how Taeil treats him like something precious. “Let me make you feel good too. What do you want? Ask me for anything, I’ll do it.”</p><p>Donghyuck hesitates, but only for a moment. “Were you joking about the tentacles?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thanks to sarah for helping me with the title! also the person that requested this fic IN JUNE i am so sorry. but here it finally is.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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